Iodine deficiency in pregnant women in eastern Turkey (Malatya Province): 7 years after the introduction of mandatory table salt iodization

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the urinary I excretion of pregnant women in Malatya Province, eastern Turkey. A cross-sectional study was performed on pregnant women in urban and rural settlements of Malatya Province. Urinary I excretion was measured for 824 pregnant women who were randomly selected using a probability-proportional-to-size sampling methodology. Median urinary I concentration (UIC) of pregnant women was 77.4 microg/l. The percentage of pregnant women with UIC below 100 microg/l was 83.3. These results indicate that I deficiency disorders (IDD) is still a problem in Malatya Province and most certainly in other parts of the country. Proper monitoring of I content of the salt sold or used in the area, in order to strengthen the IDD intervention programme, is suggested.