Iodine nutrition in adults,children and pregnant women in iodine-sufficient area

Objective To investigate iodine nutritional status and characteristics among adults,school-age children and pregnant women in iodine-sufficient areas in China since the implementation of Universal Salt Iodization(USI) in 1996.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted.Fasting urinary iodine among 348 adults and 150 school-age children from Haixing county,Hebei province and 174 pregnant women from Tianjin were measured with As³⁺-Ce⁴⁺ catalytic spectrophotometry.Urinary iodine content and distribution trend of urinary iodine among the adults,children and pregnant women were determined and described.Results The median urinary iodine for the adults,school-age children and pregnant women in iodine-sufficient area were 185.20 μg/L，123.13 μg/L,and 217.06 μg/L,all at the level of adequate iodine intake.Most of the adults(62.07%),school-age children(68.67%),and pregnant women(63.22%) were in the status of iodine sufficiency,while some of the adults(12.93%),school-age children(22.00%),and pregnant women(27.59%) were in the status of iodine deficiency.There were statistically significant differences in the urinary iodine level between 3 different groups of the participants(χ²=33.738，P<0.05).Conclusion The results demonstrate that current iodine nutritional status is basically adequate in 3 groups of people in iodine-sufficient area.However,the prevalence of iodine deficiency in school-age children and pregnant women suggests the risk of iodine deficiency in iodine-sufficient area.Scientific supplementation of iodine and routine investigations on iodine nutrition should be conducted to assure adequate iodine intakes for different groups of people.