[Prevalence of iodine deficiency and related factors in 4 year-old schoolchildren].
OBJECTIVE
Iodine deficiency in early years of life can cause important disorders in body growth and development. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of iodine deficiency in 4 year-old schoolchildren from the town of Mataró (Barcelona, Spain) and to know the factors associated with this nutritional deficiency.


METHODS
A population-based cross-sectional study was designed, which included all 4 year-old schoolchildren of this town. A physicians team performed a basic physical examination and collected urine samples for iodine determination. Parents were asked to answer a nutritional habits questionnaire.


RESULTS
Eight hundred and sixty urine samples were obtained from 987 participants. Mean urinary iodine levels were 214.1 g/l (SD = 103.3 g/l) and the median was 189.0 g/l. Prevalence of iodine deficiency was 7.8% at a 100 g/l cut-off point and 1.2% at a 50 g/l cut-off point. Statistical differences in the prevalence of iodine deficiency were observed between ethnic groups: while natives had a prevalence of 7.0%, in Magrebins it was 18.4%, Subsaharians 20.0% and other ethnical groups 14.3% (p = 0.016).


CONCLUSIONS
Schoolchildren in Mataró have adequate urinary iodine levels according to WHO recommendations with a relatively low prevalence of iodine deficiency. However, even after adjustments for the knowledge of the existence of iodized salt, iodine deficiency correlates with the child's ethnic origin (native or immigrant).
Serra-Prat
Mateu
M
Hospital de Mataró. Consorci Sanitari del Maresme. Mataró. Barcelona. Spain. mserra@csm.scs.es
Díaz
Eva
E
Verde
Yolanda
Y
Gost
Jordi
J
Serra
Eugènia
E
Puig Domingo
Manel
M
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000032:analysis; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000652:urine; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine / Q000032:analysis / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013030:Spain / Q000208:ethnology
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; C034024:iodized salt; D007455:Iodine