title: Goitre and urinary iodine excretion survey in schoolchildren of Kashmir Valley.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An extensive survey on schoolchildren in Kashmir Valley in 1995 showed a high prevalence of goitre, making it imperative to have a relook at our iodine status, 15 years postiodization.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the total prevalence of goitre and urinary iodine excretion (UIE) in Kashmiri schoolchildren, 15 years postiodization.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey, covering 9576 schoolchildren, aged 5-15 years (5988 in 6-12 year age group) was conducted. Goitres were graded as per WHO/UNICEF/ICCIDD. UIE was measured by the arsenic acid reduction in ceric ions method and was estimated in 208 subsampled children. Results were compared with that of 1995 survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of goitre in the present study was 3·8% (95% CI: 3·4-4·2) and 3·7% (95% CI: 3·2-4·2) in those aged 6-12 years. No significant difference in prevalence of goitre was observed between boys and girls overall (3·6% vs 4·1%. P > 0·2), nor in the 6-12 year age group (3·3% vs 4·0%, P > 0·1). There was a significant trend of increasing prevalence of goitre with age (P < 0·005). UIE ranged from 12 to 397 μg/g.creatinine (median, 104); 11% subjects had UIE of <50 μg/g.creatinine. Overall, prevalence of goitre was significantly lower (3·8% vs 45·2%, P < 0·001), and mean UIE was significantly higher (123·6 ± 5·3 vs 49·60 ± 3·55 μg/g.creatinine, P < 0·001), compared to that in the 1995 survey.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The marked improvement in overall iodine nutrition in Kashmir Valley- one and a half decades after implementation of salt iodization should encourage healthcare providers to make tangible efforts for implementation of iodization programmes in areas with iodine deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, India.
authors.forename: Shariq Rashid
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Masoodi
authors.forename: Altaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Arshad Iqbal
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Wani
authors.forename: Mir Iftikhar
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Bashir
authors.forename: Javaid Ahmad
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.forename: Syed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mudassar
authors.forename: Abdul Hamid
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Zargar
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006043:Goiter, Endemic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007455:Iodine / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D007455:Iodine