Evaluation of iodine intake and status using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in urban and rural areas in Benin, West Africa

International audienceObjective: Iodine deficiency has severe pathological repercussions. The aim of this study was toevaluate iodine intake and status in adults in Benin, West Africa.Methods: We randomly selected 420 participants ages 25 to 64 y and free of visible goiter fromurban and rural settings of South Benin. The participants had a diet based on carbohydrates andfish. Urine was collected over a 24-h period and samples were assayed for iodine analysis usinginductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.Results: We studied 401 urinary iodine samples. The overall median urinary iodine concentration(UIC) in 24-h urine was 62.9 mg/L (interquartile range: 40–96.2 mg/L). UIC was significantly lower inwomen than men (56.5 versus 78.6 mg/L; P < 0.001) and in rural versus urban areas (54.7 versus77.8 mg/L; P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, low UIC (<100 mg/L) was positively associated withwomen (odds ratio, 2.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.44–4.26; P ¼ 0.001) and body mass index