ABSTRACT
Iodine deficiency was a public health problem in Iran before iodine supplementation. In order to evaluate the iodine status of school aged children in Zanjan, this survey was conducted in the frame work of national monitoring survey in 2001 to find the prevalence of goiter and urinary iodine level. 1200 schoolchildren, aged 7-10 years, were selected randomly from all regions of Zanjan, and the grade of goiter, in 600 boys and 600 girls, was determined according to WHO classification. Urinary iodine content was measured using the digestion method in one tenth of the school children. Total goiter rate was 19.7%, 225% in girls and 16.8% in boys. Median urinary iodine was 18.1 microg/dl. Urinary iodine was above 10 microg/dl in 85.1% and less than 5 microg/dl in 1.6%, no one had urinary iodine below 2microg/dl. There was no difference in goiter prevalence and urinary iodine between gender and rural or urban school children. It is concluded that urinary iodine levels in school children of Zanjan province are indicative of adequate iodine intake. There is considerable decrease; in goiter rate as compared to survey of 1986. Zanjan province therefore can be considered an "iodine deficiency free" zone