title: [Influence of removing iodized salt on children's goiter status in areas with high iodine in drinking water].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the changes of goiter prevalence of children living in areas with high iodine in drinking water after removing iodized salt from their diet.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three towns with median water iodine of 150 - 300 μg/L were selected randomly in Hengshui city of Hebei province of China. A total of 452 and 459 children in the 3 towns were randomly selected to measure thyroid volume by ultrasound before and after removing iodized salt, respectively. Their goiter status was judged using the criteria of age-specific thyroid volume recommended by the WHO.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After removing iodized salt, the overall goiter prevalence in the three towns significantly decreased from 24.56% (111/452) to 5.88% (27/459) (P < 0.01). The goiter prevalence in 8, 9 and 10 year-old children decreased respectively from 33.70% (31/92), 23.32% (45/193) and 20.96% (35/167) to 6.10% (10/164), 5.52% (9/163) and 6.06% (8/132). The goiter prevalence in boys and girls decreased from 27.05% (66/244) and 21.63% (45/208 ) to 6.66% (15/226 ) and 5.15% (12/233), respectively. The decreases in children's goiter prevalence across gender and age group were all significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children's goiter prevalence decreased significantly after removing iodized salt from their diet for about one and half years in the HIA in Hebei province.
authors.forename: Shengmin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yuchun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yonggui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Lihui
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Suoli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004032:Diet; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006042:Goiter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007454:Iodides; D007455:Iodine; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D012016:Reference Values; D012931:Social Environment; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D007454:Iodides; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; C034024:iodized salt; D014867:Water; D007455:Iodine