An epidemiological survey of children's iodine nutrition and goitre status in regions with mildly excessive iodine in drinking water in Hebei Province, China

摘要

Abstract Objective To identify children's iodine nutrition and goitre status in areas with mildly excessive iodine in drinking water. Design A cross-sectional survey. Probability proportional to size sampling was employed to randomly select children from thirty townships where the median iodine content in drinking water ranged from 150 to 300 ??g/l; their urinary iodine concentrations were determined and their thyroid volumes were measured by ultrasound. Drinking water samples and salt samples from the villages where the children lived were collected using a systematic sampling method. Setting Hebei Province of China. Subjects A total of 1259 children aged 8a€“10 years (621 boys and 638 girls). Results Children's median urinary iodine concentration was found to be 418?·8 ??g/l, and the iodine concentration was >300 ??g/l for 68?·3 % (248/363) of the urine samples. Children's median urinary iodine concentration in villages with median salt iodine >10 mg/kg was significantly higher than that in villages with median salt iodine