Assessment of sodium and iodine intake among university students in Casablanca, Morocco

Abstract

IntroductionIodine deficiency is still a matter of public health concern despite salt fortification and especially with global recommendations to lower salt intake, this is mainly due to dietary habits. University students have a diet based on street food high in sodium and low in other micronutrients (i.e. iodine and potassium). In this study, we aim to measure sodium and iodine levels in university students to assess their risk of developing complications later in life. MethodologyA sample of 120 students aged between 18 and 25 years old was recruited and asked to collect their 24-hours urine samples in special containers containing. Samples were stored then analyzed for sodium, potassium, iodine and creatinine levels. ResultsThe average urinary excretion of sodium was 3066.8±1196.0mg/day. Overall, 72.6% of participants consume more than 2g/day of sodium. Average potassium intake is 1805.9±559.4mg/day, and all participants consume less than the adequate amount. Daily urinary excretion of iodine is 135.6±88.9mg/day, and 69.2% of participants consume less than the recommended amount. Sodium, potassium and iodine intakes were higher in male participants (P-values=0.008; 0.044 and 0.003, respectively). The lowest average iodine intake was observed in underweight participants (119.4±31.4) with 87.5% of underweight participants and 80% of female participants below the recommended intake. ConclusionSodium intake is high while iodine intake is low in this studied population, especially in women.