Iodine nutritional status of the school-age children in South Tripura, North East India.

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the iodine nutritional status, the thyroids of 3,577 school-age children of both sexes are examined clinically by palpation for goiter prevalence, 345 urine samples are analysed by dry ashing to determine the urinary iodine excretion pattern and 121 edible salt samples collected from house hold are analysed by iodometric titration to monitor the iodinatien achieved through salt from 6 representative areas of South Tripura in goiter endemic North East India. Endemic goiter is found prevalent in all the study areas though its occurrence varies from 13.95% to 30.96%, indicating that clinically mild to severe degree of iodine deficiency prevails in the region. But the pattern of median urinary iodine level of the studied population shows that there is no biochemical iodine deficiency. In 66.94% salt samples had iodine content less than the recommended level of 15 ppm. As per the classification recommended by WHO/UNICEF/ICCIDD, South Tripura falls into goiter endemic by clinical criteria and no endemicity by biochemical criteria. However, iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) continue to be prevalent in the region.