Urinary iodine and goiter in preschool children from the Amhara region, Ethiopia (804.23)

Iodine deficiency (ID) is highly prevalent in Ethiopia. As part of a salt iodization project, children (n=688) 54‐60 months of age were randomly selected from 26 districts of the Amhara region, Ethiopia. Anthropometry, urinary iodine (UI) and goiter were assessed and the presence of visible goiter in the family was queried between October, 2011‐March, 2012. Children’s nutritional status was categorized using WHO standards. UI was determined using the Sandell‐Kolthoff reaction. Goiter was assessed by palpation following the WHO/UNICEF/ICCIDD guidelines. Stunting (<‐2HAZ) was 43.2% while underweight (<‐2WAZ) was 29.9 %. The median UI was 11.4 µg/L and varied widely by district (0‐286 µg/L). Individual values ranged from 0‐502 µg/L. Overall, 20.9 % of children had visible goiter and 23 % had palpable goiter, with variation by district in total goiter rate from 5‐79%. Goiter prevalence was significantly higher in children with visible goiter in the family than in children from families without visible goiter. Median UI was higher (p=0.001) in children from families without visible goiter than from families with visible goiter (20 vs. 4.1 µg/L), respectively. Our data illustrate the severity of ID in Amhara region and the need for rapid and complete implementation of salt iodization. The wide variation in goiter prevalence and UI among districts emphasizes the importance of both national and local monitoring programsGrant Funding Source: Funded by Micronutrient Initiative and The German Academic Exchange Service