RESUMO
Introduction: Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) have remained an unresolved public health problem in India. In this survey, we have estimated the prevalence of IDD among 6-12 years of school children in rural areas of north Karnataka, India and estimated the prevalence of low iodine content (<15 ppm) in salt at the household level and urine iodine excretion in this population. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional survey, we recruited 16,827 children between 6 and 12 years of age through multistage sampling from six districts. Goitre was examined clinically for all children. Household-level salt iodine estimation and urinary iodine estimation were carried out among a subset of the participants. Results: Overall prevalence of goitre was 17.1% (95% CI: 16.5, 17.7). Out of this, 76.7% (n = 2116) had Grade-1 goitre, and 23.7% (n = 656) had Grade-2 goitre. The prevalence of goitre was higher among females (17.9%, vs. male 16.4%, P < 0.05). The prevalence of low iodine content (<15 ppm) in salt was 48.5% (95%CI: 46.7, 50.3). The overall median iodine excretion in urine was 85 µg/L (IQR: 60-150 µg/L). In total, 37.2% (n = 601) had mild iodine deficiency, 5.2% (n = 84) had moderate deficiency, and 10.1% (n = 163) had severe deficiency. All parameters showed high inter- and intradistrict variations. Conclusion: North Karnataka has a high goitre prevalence. Low use of iodized salt can be a major reason for the high prevalence of the condition. Ensuring the availability of iodized salt in this region and periodic surveillance to measure the impact of the programme should be the priority in this region.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Tobacco use is one of the most important causes of death and disease globally. Nearly one-third of the population in India uses tobacco, and smokeless form is culturally acceptable even among women. OBJECTIVES: (1) To estimate the prevalence of consumption of smokeless tobacco (SLT) products among women in the reproductive age group in the study setting. (2) To determine the various factors associated with the consumption of SLT. (3) To estimate the prevalence of exposure to second-hand smoke among the study participants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the field area of primary health center Irkalgad, Koppal in March 2018. A cluster sampling technique was used and a total of 829 women were included. Data were collected using pretested and semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed using the Epi info software version 3.5.4 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention" (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America). RESULTS: The prevalence of consumption of SLT products was 17.85%, and the most common product consumed was tobacco with betel quid. Tobacco consumption was found to be significantly associated with age, literacy, marital, and employment status of the study participants. CONCLUSION: The present study concludes that SLT consumption is high among women in the reproductive age group in the study setting and identifies multiple determinants for effective planning of interventions.
