title: Limited access to iodized salt among the poor and disadvantaged in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India.
abstract: Iodine deficiency is endemic in West Bengal as evident from earlier studies. This community-based, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in North 24 Parganas district during August-November 2005 to assess the consumption of adequately-iodized salt and to ascertain the various factors that influence access to iodized salt. In total, 506 households selected using the multi-stage cluster-sampling technique and all 79 retail shops from where the study households buy salt were surveyed. The iodine content of salt was tested by spot iodine-testing kits. Seventy-three percent of the households consumed salt with adequate iodine content (> or = 15 ppm). Consumption of adequately-iodized salt was lower among rural residents [prevalence ratio (PR): 0.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.7-0.9], Muslims (PR: 0.8, 95% CI 0.7-0.9), and households with monthly per-capita income of < or = US$ 10 (PR: 0.7, 95% CI 0.6-0.8). Those who heard and were aware of the risk of iodine-deficiency disorders and of the benefit of iodized salt were more likely to use appropriate salt (PR: 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.3). Those who were aware of the ban on non-iodized salt were more likely to consume adequately-iodized salt (PR: 1.1, 95% CI 1.01-1.3). The iodine content was higher in salt sold in sealed packets (PR: 2.9, 95% CI 1.8-4.8) and stored on shelves (PR: 1.6, 95% CI 1.3-2.0). Seventy-two percent of the salt samples from the retail shops had the iodine content of > or = 15 ppm. The findings indicate that elimination of iodine deficiency will require targeting the vulnerable and poor population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Tapas Kumar
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: Dilip Kumar
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Akhil Bandhu
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.forename: Indranil
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chakrabarty
authors.forename: Sujishnu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mukhopadhyay
authors.forename: Rabindranath
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roy
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics; D006043:Goiter, Endemic / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007455:Iodine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000172:deficiency / Q000191:economics*; D011203:Poverty; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations
chemical_list: D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; C034024:iodized salt; D007455:Iodine
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