Iodine deficiency in pregnant women in eastern Turkey (Malatya Province): 7 Years after the introduction of mandatory table salt iodization

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the urinary I excretion of pregnant women in Malatya Province, eastern Turkey. Design and setting: A cross-sectional study was performed on pregnant women in urban and rural settlements of Malatya Province. Subjects: Urinary I excretion was measured for 824 pregnant women who were randomly selected using a probability-proportional-to-size sampling methodology. Results: Median urinary I concentration (UIC) of pregnant women was 77.4 μg/l. The percentage of pregnant women with UIC below 100 μg/l was 83.3. Conclusion: These results indicate that I deficiency disorders (IDD) is still a problem in Malatya Province and most certainly in other parts of the country. Proper monitoring of I content of the salt sold or used in the area, in order to strengthen the IDD intervention programme, is suggested. Copyright © The Authors 2008.