OBJECTIVE@#This study assesses the impact of
iodine-rich
processed foods and dining places on the
iodine nutritional status of
children.@*
METHODS@#
School-
aged children (SAC) in seven provinces in
China were selected by
school-based multi-stage sampling. Urinary
iodine,
salt iodine, and
thyroid volume (TVOL) were determined.
Questionnaires were used to investigate dining places and
iodine-rich
processed foods. The
water iodine was from the 2017 national
survey. Multi-factor
regression analysis was used to find correlations between variables.@*RESULTS@#
Children ate 78.7% of their
meals at home, 15.1% at
school canteens, and 6.1% at other places. The percentage of daily
iodine intake from
water, iodized
salt,
iodine-rich
processed foods, and cooked
food were 1.0%, 79.2%, 1.5%, and 18.4%, respectively. The
salt iodine was correlated with the urinary
iodine and TVOL, respectively (r = 0.999 and -0.997, P < 0.05). The
iodine intake in
processed foods was weakly correlated with the TVOL (r = 0.080, P < 0.01). Non-iodized
salt used in
processed foods or
diets when
eating out had less effect on
children's
iodine nutrition status.@*CONCLUSION@#Iodized
salt remains the primary source of daily
iodine intake of SAC, and processed
food has less effect on
iodine nutrition. Therefore, for
children, iodized
salt should be a compulsory supplement in their routine
diet.