Iodine Status and Its Determinants among Adolescent School Girls in Rural Tanzania

Abstract

Iodine deficiency is still one of the most serious public health problems in developing countries in the world. The high rates of adolescent pregnancies in Tanzania exacerbate the vicious cycle of maternal child malnutrition including iodine deficiency. It has been well‐documented that maintaining adequate iodine supply during pregnancy is essential for maternal healthy thyroid function and fetal neurological development. Increased iodine requirements for pregnancy and a high demand for nutrients for growth in adolescent make them vulnerable to inadequate iodine status. However, few studies have reported determinants of iodine status in rural areas of Tanzania. We aimed to assess iodine status and identify its determinants among adolescent schoolgirls in rural Tanzania. Four secondary day schools in Iringa region in Tanzania were randomly selected for this cross‐sectional study during the lean season (January–March) in 2016. A total of 208 adolescent girls aged 12–19 years were surveyed with a questionnaire on general and socioeconomic characteristics of themselves and their caregivers; dietary intakes; and use of iodized salt in cooking at home, and single spot urine samples. Multivariable logistic regressions were performed to identify determinants of iodine status, while controlling for covariates. Based on UICs from urine samples, iodine status of the adolescent girls was adequate (median UIC: 227.1 μg/L) and the prevalence estimate of UIC <50 μg/L was 16.4% among adolescent girls in rural Tanzania. Adolescent girls in the lowest tertile of UIC tended to live in a smaller household and have their caregivers having a low level of education and working as blue‐collar employees (peasant farmers) than those in the highest tertile of UIC. Adolescent girls living in semi‐urban were more likely to be at risks for UIC <50 μg/L (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=16.32, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.92–54.11, P <0.01), compared to those living in rural area. Adolescent girls who have caregivers working as peasant farmers had a lower risk of UIC <50 μg/L, than those who have caregivers working as a white‐collar employee such as educator, health professionals, and business person (AOR=0.17, 95% CI:0.03–0.97, P <0.05). The present study provides the evidences that socioeconomic status of caregivers was important determinants of adolescent girls' iodine status. Therefore, nutrition education for adolescents' caregiver should be emphasized to combat nutritional inadequacies. Further investigations longitudinally designed with large samples are warranted to identify risk factors of iodine deficiency among adolescent girls of childbearing age in Tanzania.Support or Funding InformationThis study was conducted by the generous financial support of a USAID‐funded Food Security Project, Innovative Agricultural Research Initiative (iAGRI) in Tanzania.