A challenge for monitoring iodine deficiency disorders in rural Nepal.
Developing a strategy for monitoring iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) remains a big challenge in rural Nepal where great variations could exist in IDD status. To explore the possibility of variation in urinary iodine excretion (UIE) level in rural settings, we carried out a detailed study of UIE among 586 school children of 20 schools in five villages. Our data revealed statisitically significant differences in UIE values among rural villages and schools in the same villages. The policy-makers should keep such variations in mind for a successful monitoring of IDD in Nepal and other countries where such variations may exist.
Jimba
Masamine
M
Department of International Community Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. mjimba@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Aitken
Iain W
IW
Joshi
Anand B
AB
Ohashi
Toshinori
T
Poudyal
Amod K
AK
Wakai
Susumu
S
D002648:Child; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D016482:Urinalysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D007455:Iodine