title: National study on the prevalence of iodine deficiency disorders among schoolchildren 8-12 years of age in Bahrain.
abstract: A cross-sectional survey of primary-school children in Bahrain was conducted to estimate the prevalence of goitre and iodine deficiency according to age, sex and area of residence. During January-May 1999, 1600 children were randomly chosen from all government schools. Children were examined for goitre and of those, 50% were randomly selected for urinary iodine level assessment. Only 26 children (1.7%) had goitre. Although median urinary iodine was above 100 microg/L, 121 of 749 children (16.2%) had low urinary iodine levels. Although iodine deficiency does not pose a significant public health problem in Bahrain, education about the nutritional value of iodized salts in the prevention of this disorder could increase public awareness.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Section, Ministry of Health, Manama, Bahrain.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moosa
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Abdul Wahab
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Al-Sayyad
authors.forename: B Z
authors.initials: BZ
authors.lastname: Baig
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D001445:Bahrain / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000652:urine; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006043:Goiter, Endemic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000652:urine; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine / Q000172:deficiency*; D008297:Male; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; C034024:iodized salt; D007455:Iodine