Iodine deficiency disorders among primary-school children in Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt

Abstract

The prevalence of iodine deficiency in primary-school children in Kafr El-Sheikh govemorate was assessed. A total of 2250 primary-school children aged 8-10 years were selected by a two-stage cluster sampling technique. The results revealed that the prevelance rate of goitre was 27.1% and it was significantly higher in females (29.2%) than males (25.1%). The median urinary iodine level was 6.7 μg/dl and 3.9 μg/dl for grade 1 and grade 2 goitre respectively. It was concluded that iodine deficiency is a public health problem of moderate severity in primary-school children in Kafr El-Sheikh governorate. This necessitates an intervention programme through salt iodization.