[Monitoring of iodine in The Child and Adolescent Health Survey].
In the first quarter of 2003 a National Health Survey for Children and Adolescents will be started and carried out over a period of three years. In 11,300 children and adolescents between 6 and 18 years a comprehensive iodine monitoring will be realised. The volume of the thyroid gland will be determined sonographically, thyroid hormones and the urinary iodine excretion will be measured. Apart from the nutritional intake of iodine and the use of supplements, socio-demographic and other variables relevant to health will be recorded in a self-administered questionnaire. In the pilot study of the Health Survey for Children and Adolescents from March 2001 to March 2002 the method was tested on 426 children and adolescents and has proved feasible. The sample for the pretest was not representative for the population of children and adolescents in Germany but may already be an indication for the iodine supply. A low goitre prevalence of 4.2% was found. The total thyroid volume correlated significantly with height and weight. There was no significant difference between boys and girls or between a rural and an urban sample point.
Dippelhofer
A
A
Robert Koch-Institut, Seestrasse 10, 13353 Berlin.
Thamm
M
M
Thierfelder
W
W
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006043:Goiter, Endemic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000652:urine; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007455:Iodine / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012016:Reference Values; D014463:Ultrasonography
D007455:Iodine