Analysis of the iodine nutrition status of pregnant women in Tianjin from 2015 to 2019 / 公共卫生与预防医学

ABSTRACT

Objective To understand the iodine nutrition status of pregnant women in Tianjin from 2015 to 2019, and to provide a theoretical basis for pregnant women's scientific iodine supplement in the future. Methods A total of 6 939 pregnant women were randomly selected from 16 districts in Tianjin. The urine samples and home salt of the pregnant women were collected to test iodine content. Results The iodine content was determined in a total of 6 939 household salt samples of the pregnant women. The coverage rate of iodized salt was 81.78%, the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt was 66.85%, and the median salt iodine content was 25.96 mg/kg. A total of 6,938 urine samples were determined for iodine content. The median urinary iodine of the pregnant women (154.26 µg/L) reached an appropriate level of iodine nutrition, but there was an imbalance in the regional distribution (suburbs < urban areas, pregnant women in the third trimester of suburbs < pregnant women in the third trimester of urban areas, and non-elderly pregnant women in the suburbs < non-elderly pregnant women in the suburban areas). Spearman correlation analysis found that urinary iodine was positively correlated with salt iodine and the coverage rate of iodized salt (all P<0.05). The urinary iodine level in pregnant women who consumed uniodized salt was lower than the level in those who consumed qualified iodized salt (P<0.05). Conclusion The coverage rate of iodized salt and the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt in Tianjin had not yet reached the national standard for eliminating iodine deficiency disorders. Although the median urine iodine level of pregnant women generally reached an appropriate level, the level of pregnant women's urinary iodine in the suburbs was significantly lower than that in urban areas. The urinary iodine level of pregnant women in the first trimester, suburban areas (pregnant women in the first and third trimester) and pregnant women who consumed uniodized salt were still in the iodine deficiency level. Therefore, it is necessary to continue to strengthen the monitoring of pregnant women's iodine nutrition, strengthen the promotion of scientific consumption of qualified iodized salt in key populations, and provide a basis for formulating a scientific iodine supplementation policy for pregnant women.