RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of iodine deficiency in children in Eastern Province, Cameroon. METHOD: Urinary iodine (I) and thiocyanate (SCN) excretion levels were assessed in 158 children (62 boys and 96 girls) aged 7-19 years. RESULTS: Mean urinary iodine excretion was 4.49 microg/dl for girls and 4.71 microg/dl for boys, lower than the 5.0 microg/dl minimal value defined by WHO. Overall 64.42% of subjects had urinary iodine excretion below the minimum, more than three times the population percentage (20%) at which a zone is declared endemic. Mean urine SCN concentration and mean I/SCN ratios of the study population were 2.57 +/- 1.43 mg/dl and 2.21 +/- 1.35 microg/mg for boys and 2.91 +/- 1.57 mg/dl and 1.91 +/- 1.1 microg/mg for girls. CONCLUSION: Iodine deficiency remains a problem in Eastern Province of Cameroon.