Abstract
Adequate iodine status of women of childbearing age is essential for optimal growth and development of their offspring. The objectives of the current study were to assess the iodine status of non-pregnant women, availability and use of commercial salt, extent to which it is iodised, and availability of other industrially processed foods suitable for fortification with iodine. This prospective cross-sectional study was carried out in 2018 in a remote area in Gulf province, Papua New Guinea. Multistage cluster sampling was used to randomly select 300 women visiting local markets. Of these, 284 met study criteria of being non-pregnant and non-lactating. Single urine samples were collected from each of them. Discretionary salt intake was assessed; salt samples were collected from a sub-sample of randomly selected households. A semi-structured, pre-tested questionnaire to assess use and availability of commercial salt and other processed foods was modified and used. Salt was available on the interview day in 51.6% of households. Mean iodine content in household salt samples was 37.8 ± 11.8 ppm. Iodine content was below 30.0 ppm in 13.1% and below 15.0 ppm in 3.3% of salt samples. Mean iodine content of salt available at markets was 39.6 ± 0.52 ppm. Mean discretionary intake of salt per capita per day was 3.9 ± 1.21 g. Median UIC was 34.0 μg/L (95% CI, 30.0-38.0 ppm), indicating moderate iodine deficiency. For women with salt in the household, median UIC was 39.5 μg/L (95% CI, 32.0-47.0 μg/L), compared to median UIC of 29.0 μg/L (95% CI, 28.0-32.0 μg/L) for those without salt. This community has low consumption of iodised salt, likely due to limited access. Investigation of other industrially processed foods indicated salt is the most widely consumed processed food in this remote community, although 39.8% of households did use salty flavourings.
Highlights
During pregnancy and lactation, adequate intake and bioavailability of iodine are required for the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones, which are important for the regulation of growth and the healthy development of the nervous system of the foetus and infant, control of metabolic activities, developmental processes, and functions of the central nervous system [1,2,3]
The iodine content was below 5.0 ppm in 1.6% (1/61) of the salt samples; i.e.,
The results show that the majority of women (95.4%) reported using something to give food a salty taste
Summary
Adequate intake and bioavailability of iodine are required for the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones, which are important for the regulation of growth and the healthy development of the nervous system of the foetus and infant, control of metabolic activities, developmental processes, and functions of the central nervous system [1,2,3]. The iodine status of non-pregnant women of childbearing age is important because it is the status of women entering pregnancy, when adequate maternal iodine nutrition is important for foetal development [1]. Salt iodisation has been implemented in Papua New Guinea (PNG) since June 1995, following promulgation of the PNG Salt Legislation, banning the importation and sale of non-iodised salt [7]. It was incorporated into the PNG Food Sanitation Regulation issued in 2007 [8]. Several small studies in different locations have been undertaken
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