title: Status of iodine deficiency amongst school children in twenty four districts in southern India.
abstract: The central legislation banning sale of non-iodized salt for edible purposes in the entire country was withdrawn by the Government in the year 2000. The present study was conducted in the year 2001 immediately after lifting the central ban to establish the baseline urinary iodine excretion levels in twenty four districts of Southern India. In each district all the senior secondary schools were enlisted and one school was selected by random sampling. About 120 children in the age group of 11 to 18 years were selected using the random number tables. The urinary iodine excretion levels were analysed using the wet digestion method. It was found that districts Rangareddy, Kolar, Yanam and Perambalour had median UIE levels less than 100 microg/l, indicating iodine deficiency. The findings of the present study highlights the success of Universal salt iodisation programme. The Government of India should reinitiate the process of central ban on sale of non iodised salt in the country to prevent the iodine deficiency disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Nutrition, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
authors.forename: Umesh
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kapil
authors.forename: Preeti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Sada Nand
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Dwivedi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007455:Iodine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000652:urine; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009752:Nutritional Status; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; C034024:iodized salt; D007455:Iodine