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 μg/L (range: 21.69 μg/L - 273.36μg/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 noniodated (12%), insufficiently iodated (58%) and 30% were adequately iodated. For 500 gm, fine salt was sold at US $ 0.14 (TSh. 100.00) while coarse salt was sold at US $ 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. East African Medical Journal Vol. 83(4) 2006: 79-8