title: Knowledge and Perception of Consumption of Iodized Salt Among Food Handlers in Southern Ethiopia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Iodine deficiency is the world's single most important cause of preventable mental retardation. In Ethiopia, the knowledge and perception of food handlers toward the iodized salt consumption (ISC) was very low.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess knowledge and perception of food handlers toward consumption of iodized salt in Wolaita Sodo town and Sodo Zuria woreda, 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  The community-based cross-sectional study design was done from May 10 to May 30, 2014 in Sodo town and Sodo Zuria woreda (district), Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia. Systematic sampling techniques were used to identify study participants. Data entered into the software Epi Info version 3.5.3 and analyzed using the software SPSS version 16. To assess an association, odds ratio was used at 95% confidence interval, whereas confounding was controlled by employing multivariate logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lower knowledge and perception on iodine deficiency was observed. About 239 (44.7%) of the respondents had good knowledge and 228 (42.6%) had positive attitude toward consumption of iodized salt. Most (346, 64.7%) of the participants had heard about goiter, whereas only 170 (31.8%) of them associated it with iodine deficiency. About 46.4% of respondents heard about iodized salt. Respondents' age, education, family income, place of residence, and occupation had significant association with good knowledge and positive attitude toward consumption of iodized salt.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study revealed the existence of knowledge and perception gap in iodine deficiency disorder and ISC. Household income, education of respondents, and place of residence were determinant factors for poor knowledge and perception of iodized salt. Therefore, efforts to scale-up the knowledge and perception toward ISC should focus on households with low income, educational level, and rural residence.
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Public and Environmental Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Haji
authors.affiliation: 2 Wolaita Sodo University, WolaitaSodo, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Junayde
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abdurahmen
authors.affiliation: 2 Wolaita Sodo University, WolaitaSodo, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Wondimagegn
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Paulos
keywords: Wolaita Sodo; food handlers; iodine deficiency disorder; knowledge