Abstract
This paper adds iodine data to the nutritional survey recently published in the Eur J Clin Nutr (2004;58:532-540) to identify growth retardation and micronutrient deficiencies among Tarahumara children from five selected indigenous boarding schools in Mexico. Total goiter rate (TGR) (n=384), urinary iodine concentrations (UI) (n = 100), and iodine content of salt were measured. Overall, TGR was 7.0% (grade 1 = 6.8%, grade 2 = 0.2%). The median UI of the group was 125 microg/l, while the median UI across the schools ranged from 92.0-156.5 microg/l, with 32 and 6% of the children having UI between 50-99 microg/l and 20-49 microg/l, respectively. The iodine content in all the salt packages checked at the schools was above 25 parts per million. Based on TGR and UI, there is a marginal iodine deficiency in this sample of children, probably due to an insufficient iodine intake. These results add to existing evidence that iodine deficiency still constitutes a public health problem in certain populations living in the mountainous regions in Mexico.
Highlights
In September 2003, we returned and sampled children from the same five schools as previously surveyed (MonarrezEspino et al, 2004)
We evaluated thyroid size by inspection and palpation in all available schoolchildren aged 6–14 y (n 1⁄4 384; boys 1⁄4 179, girls 1⁄4 205) to calculate the total goiter rate (TGR) using the WHO simplified 3-stage classification of goiter severity (0: normal, 1: palpable, 2: visible) (ICCIDD-UNICEF-WHO, 2001)
urinary iodine concentrations (UI) excretion has been characterized as a good marker of recent dietary iodine intake and has been recommended for the assessment of a population’s iodine nutrition (ICCIDD-UNICEF-WHO, 2001)
Summary
In September 2003, we returned and sampled children from the same five schools as previously surveyed (MonarrezEspino et al, 2004). The iodine content of salt used for food preparation at the selected schools was checked using a colorimetric method (Mannar and Dunn, 1995).
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