Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences (Dec 2009)
Association between Goiter Prevalence and Urine Iodine Levels in 6-12-Year-Old Children in Central Iran
Abstract
Background: Goiter is thyroid enlargement, which is the mostcommon visible symptom of iodine deficiency. Some studieshave shown iodine deficiency in water, soil, and food in manyplaces worldwide.We aimed to determine the prevalence of goiter and the associationbetween urine iodine levels in children with severityand prevalence of goiter in mountainous villages of Kashancity (center of Iran).Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on263 children aged 6-12 years in villages of Kashan. In the presentstudy, goiter and its grading was determined by WHOstandard method. The patients’ urine iodine levels were measuredby Pino method (ammonium oxidation) and comparedwith standard scales.Results: Of the children, 39.5% had goiter and the prevalencein girls was higher than boys (45.8% v 33.3%; P<0.03). All thepatients with urine iodine level less than 25 μg/grcr (gramcreatinine), 87.5% of patients with urine iodine level less than100 μg/grcr and 24% of patients with urine iodine level morethan 100 μg/grcr had goiter.Conclusion: The prevalence of goiter in mountainous placesof Kashan is 39.5%. Although the people of these villages usediodized salt for years, these regions remain endemic parts ofiodine deficiency. There was a significant association betweenurine iodine levels and the severity and prevalence of goiter(P< 0.001).
