Iodine deficiency disorders among primary school children in eastern Nepal.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the iodine status among primary school children of Dhankuta and Dharan in eastern Nepal.


METHODS
A population based cross sectional study was conducted on schools of Dhankuta and Dharan from January-March 2008. 385 samples of both urine and salt were collected from school children aged 6-11 yrs. Urinary iodine excretion (UIE) was measured in casual urine samples by the ammonium-persulphate digestion microplate (APDM) method and salt iodine content by using a semi quantitative rapid test kit.


RESULTS
The median UIEs of school children of Dhankuta and Dharan were 157.1 μg/L and 180.3 μg/L respectively. The percentage of iodine deficient (UIE <100 μg/L) children were 26.6% in Dhankuta and 15.6% in Dharan. The majority of children consumed packet salt. The percentages of salt samples with adequately iodized salt (≥ 15 ppm) were 81.3% in Dhankuta and 89.6% in Dharan.


CONCLUSIONS
Eastern Nepal is continuously progressing towards the sustainable elimination of iodine deficiency disease as illustrated by a normal median UIE and the majority of households consuming adequately iodized packet salt. It is necessary to maintain the program continuously to ensure adequate iodine nutrition of the population.
Gelal
Basanta
B
Department of Biochemistry, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal.
Chaudhari
Rajendra K
RK
Nepal
Ashwini K
AK
Sah
Gauri S
GS
Lamsal
Madhab
M
Brodie
David A
DA
Baral
Nirmal
N
D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine / Q000172:deficiency*; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology
D007455:Iodine