title: Environmental, urinary iodine status and prevalence of goitre among schoolchildren in a high altitude area of Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to assess the iodine deficiency, prevalence of goitre among schoolchildren and measuring environmental iodine in Taif city, Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional multistage cluster-sampling methodology was done on 1887 schoolchildren. Their urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and goitre prevalence was assessed. Blood level of triiodothyronin, thyroxine and thyroid-stimulating-hormone was carried out for students with normal, mild; moderate and sever iodine deficiency. The iodine content of salt, water and soil was also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Goitre prevalence was 7.4% and about 71% of the participants had UIC less than 100μg/L. An inverse relationship between median UIC and the percent prevalence of goitre was found. The mean serum T3, T4 and TSH were 1.05ng/dL, 6.81µg/dL, and 5.69mIU/L, respectively. A significant positive correlation was found between the mean value of urinary iodine and the mean value of both T3 and T4. While a significant negative correlation between the mean value of urinary iodine and the mean value of TSH was also noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results revealed the presence of a potential public health problem of iodine deficiency among school going children in high altitude areas of Saudi Arabia. There is a need to monitor and evaluate the salt iodization process, and distribute adequately iodized salt in the affected areas.
authors.affiliation: Mohamed Salah Omar, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Benha, Qalyubia, Egypt. Division of Biochemistry, Department of Pharmacology, College of Clinical Pharmacy, Taif University, Al-Haweiah, Taif 21974, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohamed Salah
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Omar
authors.affiliation: Dalia El-Sayed Desouky, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufyia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt. Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Taif University, Al-Haweiah, Taif 21974, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Dalia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: El-Sayed Desouky
keywords: Environment; Goitre prevalence; Iodine deficiency; Thyroid hormones