Abstract
Objectives: To investigate the present occurrence of stunting and explore the role of iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs) as a predictor of stunting among primary school children in the Aseer Region. Methods: In a cross-sectional investigation on school children in the Aseer region, thyroid enlargement was evaluated clinically. Urine was collected to evaluate iodine content. Results: The present study involved 3046 school-age pupils. The study disclosed a total goiter rate of 24.0% (95% CI: 22.5–25.5%). The median urinary iodine content (UIC) was 17.0 µg/L. A prevalence of stunting (height for age z score of less than −2) of 7.8% (95% CI: 6.9–8.8%) was found. In a logistic regression model, pupils having clinical goiter (aOR = 1.739; 95% CI: 1.222–2.475) and students having UIC of less than 17 µg/L (aOR = 1.934; 95% CI: 1.457–2.571) were considerably related with stunting. In the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, urinary iodine content to forecast stunting was good (AUC = 0.611, 95% CI: 0.594–0.629). The curve recognized the optimum cutoff point of urinary iodine content to be ≤19.0 µg/L. The sensitivity was 59.66% (95% CI: 53.1–66.0) and the specificity was 57.62% (95% CI: 55.8–59.5). Conclusion: The present study showed that stunting among school-aged children presents a mild public health problem. On the other hand, a severe iodine deficiency situation was revealed among school children in the Aseer region. Continuous monitoring of iodine status among school children is therefore necessary. Concerted interventions that blend nutrition-sensitive with nutrition-specific approaches are expected to influence decreasing stunting significantly.
Highlights
School-age pupils aged 8–10 years residing in the Aseer region [14]
The present study showed a prevalence of stunting of 7.8% among school-aged children, indicating a mild public health problem [21]
The present study revealed that iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs) was a predictor of stunting
Summary
Linear development malfunction in early years is the utmost predominant type of undernutrition universally. An anticipated 165 million persons under five years are stunted, with a height-for-age z-score (HAZ) lower than −2 (i.e., more than two standard deviations below the population median). A more significant amount of young people with. HAZ -2 still have insufficient linear development and are suffering from stunting [1,2]. Stunting more persistently delays the developmental capacity and human resources of people owing to its prolonged term influence on intellectual function and
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