A survey of the iodine content of school-children diets fortified with marine fish
Year: 2017
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: The present study was carried out in an iodine deficient area in Northern Ghana, and the purpose of the study was: (1)to undertake a food dietary survey on school children in an iodine deficient area, (2) measure the iodine content in thestaple food of this area, (3) carry out an intervention study with a traditional food supplemented with marine fish as anatural iodine source. Sixty school children, in the village of Sekoti in the Upper-East region of Ghana, participated inthe study. The dietary survey was performed as repeated 24 h recall, and staple foods were analysed for iodine byICP-MS. A traditional diet fortified with 10% codfish-powder was given to the children every day for two weeks, andiodine status was measured before and after the intervention. The foodstuffs normally eaten by the children containedlittle iodine. However, beans prepared at a market nearby had surprisingly high values of iodine, explained by theaddition of saltpetre, which contained very high amounts of iodine. About 60% of the children in the study area hadgoitre and the prevalence was highest among girls. Following the intervention period, the urinary iodine concentrationwas significantly increased and the TSH level in serum was significantly decreased, indicating an elevated iodinestatus. The children having goitre had the strongest tendency to elevate their iodine status
Language: English
Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7220540409