Prevalence of Goiter and Urinary Iodine in Schoolchildren of Hamadan Province in 2001

• Main Authors: Fereydun Azizi, Robabeh Sheikholeslam, Mohsen Naghavi, Mohammad Reza Honarvar, Kashad Toori, Zahra Abdollahi
• Format: Article
• Language: fas
• Published: Hamadan University of Medical Sciences 2006-09-01
• Series: پزشکی بالینی ابن سینا
• Subjects: goiter; iodine deficiency disorders; urinary iodine
• Online Access: http://sjh.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-485-en.html

Introduction & Objective: The province of Hamadan was one of the regions with endemic goiter in Iran. Following initiation of the program of control of iodine deficiency in 1989, production, distribution and consumption of iodized salt were begun. Materials & Methods: In 2001, as part of a national monitoring survey, 1200 schoolchildren, aged 7-10 years, were selected randomly from all regions of Hamadan, and the grade of goiter, in 600 boys and 600 girls, was determined according to WHO classification. Urinary iodine content was estimated using the digestion method in one tenth of the schoolchildren. Results: Total goiter rate was 18% (15.8% in girls and 20.2% in boys). Median urinary iodine was 15.3 µg/dl. Urinary iodine was above 10 µg/dl in 78.3% and less  than 5 µg/dl in 8.7% of subjects no one had urinary iodine below 2 µg/dl. Conclusion: It is concluded that the rate of goiter in Hamadan has decreased significantly since 1996 and urinary iodine levels in schoolchildren are indicative of adequate iodine intake Hamadan province therefore can be considered a “iodine deficiency free” zone.