Abstract
BackgroundGlobally, more than two billion people are at risk of iodine deficiency disorders, 32% of which are school children. Iodine deficiency has been recognized as a severe public health concern in Ethiopia, however little is known about the problem. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of goiter and associated factors among school children (6 to 12 years) in Dabat District, northwest Ethiopia.MethodsA school-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February 21 to March 31, 2016. A total of 735 school children were included in the study. A stratified multistage sampling followed by systematic sampling technique was employed to select the study participants. Thyroid physical examination was done and classified according to the World Health Organization recommendations as grade 0, grade 1, and grade 2. The level of salt iodine content was determined using the rapid field test kit. The value 0 parts per million (PPM), <15 PPM and ≥15 PPM with the corresponding color chart on the rapid test kit were used to classify the level of iodine in the sampled salt. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with goiter. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was calculated to show the strength of association. In multivariable analysis, variables with a P-value of <0.05 were considered statistically significant.ResultsIn this community, the overall prevalence of goiter was 29.1% [95% CI: 25.9, 32.6], in which about 22.4 and 6.7% had goiter grade 1 and grade 2, respectively. The age of children (AOR = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.26), being housewife mother (AOR = 1.49; 95% CI: 1.08, 2.15), use of unprotected well water source for drinking (AOR = 6.25; 95% CI: 2.50, 15.66), medium household wealth status (AOR = 1.78; 95% CI: 1.18, 2.92), use of inadequately iodized salt (AOR = 2.79; 95% CI: 1.86, 4.19), poor dietary diversity score of the child (AOR = 1.92;95% CI: 1.06, 3.48) and medium maternal knowledge (AOR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.42, 0.94) were significantly associated with goiter.ConclusionsThe prevalence of goiter is higher in Dabat District, which confirmed a moderate public health problem. Therefore, regular monitoring of household salt iodine content, improving access to safe water, promoting the importance of diversified food for children is recommended to address the higher burden of iodine deficiency.
Highlights
More than two billion people are at risk of iodine deficiency disorders, 32% of which are school children
The total goiter rate is estimated to be 15.8% [4] and nearly two billion people are at risk of Iodine Deficiency (ID), while one-third lives in areas where natural sources of iodine is low [5]
This study aimed to assess the prevalence of goiter and associated factors among school children in Dabat District, northwest Ethiopia
Summary
More than two billion people are at risk of iodine deficiency disorders, 32% of which are school children. Goiter is used to describe an abnormal enlargement of thyroid gland mainly due to the adaptive response to low dietary iodine intake [2]. Due to their rapid growth and increased nutritional requirement, school children are considered as the most vulnerable segment of the community [3]. The total goiter rate is estimated to be 15.8% [4] and nearly two billion people are at risk of ID, while one-third lives in areas where natural sources of iodine is low [5]. Of the African countries, the largest burden is found in Ethiopia [8], according to which 39.9% of children are iodine deficient [9]
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