Urinary iodine concentration and availability of iodated salt in school children in a goitre-endemic district of Tanzania.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the iodine status of school children and document the availability, price, use and storage of iodated salt in Ludewa District, Tanzania. DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive study. SUBJECTS: One hundred parents and their fifty school children aged eight to ten years. SETTING: Ludewa District of Iringa region, Tanzania in January 2003. RESULTS: Median urinary iodine concentration of the school children was 86.76 microg/L (range: 21.69 microg/L - 273.36 microg/L). The prevalence of mild iodine deficiency was 44% while that of moderate iodine deficiency was 18%. Thirty-eight percent of the school children had normal iodine status and no child was found to be severely iodine deficient. Household salt samples were found to be non-iodated (12%), insufficiently iodated (58%) and 30% were adequately iodated. For 500 gm, fine salt was sold at US dollar 0.14 (TSh. 100.00) while coarse salt was sold at US dollar 0.07 (TSh. 50.00). Once bought salt was stored in covered containers (55%), uncovered containers (13%), or folded newspapers (32%). With most foods, salt was added at the beginning of a cooking process (1%), during cooking (80%), at the end of cooking (13%) or at the table (6%). CONCLUSION: With 62% of the school children having mild and moderate forms of iodine deficiency, results of the present study demonstrate that iodine deficiency is a public health problem in the District. Consumption of iodated salt and foods rich in iodine is low. Education and communication strategies to different stakeholders need to be strengthened to effectively communicate the message on iodine nutrition. There is a need for renewed efforts to reinforce regular monitoring of iodine content of salt especially in the rural areas where informal re-packing of iodated salt and sale of non-iodated salt are common.

Prevalence and awareness of obesity among people of different age groups in educational institutions in Morogoro, Tanzania.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence rates and level of awareness of obesity among people of different age groups in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, descriptive study. SUBJECTS: One hundred adults aged 19-50 years old and 40 pupils aged 14-18 years old. SETTING: Four educational institutions in Morogoro Municipality were included in the study. The four institutions included a primary and a secondary school, a teacher's training college and a university. RESULTS: The prevalence of obesity among the sampled subjects in Morogoro Municipality was 25 %, whereby 15.7% had a Body Mass Index (BMI) of between 25 and 30, and 9.3% had a BMI of more than 30. Age and occupation of all the subjects, together with marital status of adult subjects, were significantly related with obesity status. Prevalence of obesity increased with the increased age whereby subjects in the 41-50 years had the highest rate (45.4%). Employed subjects had higher rate of obesity (22.2%) than pupils or students. Similarly, married adults had higher rate of obesity (27.8%) than the single ones (4.7%). Unlike the old age group (41-50 years), 70% of the youngest subjects were not aware about the harmful effects of obesity. On the other hand, more than two thirds of all the subjects could not associate excess body weight with chronic non-communicable diseases such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and breathing problems. CONCLUSION: Results of the current study indicate that obesity is increasingly becoming a public health problem in Morogoro Municipality, and probably in many other places in Tanzania. There is need for more public awareness on the effect of obesity on people's health through information, education and communication. It would be of great importance if such interventions were introduced at early age of life, for example by inclusion in school curricula.