Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Endocrinology, Afzalipour School of Medicine and Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

2 Professor of Biochemistry, Afzalipour School of Medicine and Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

3 Associate professor of Social Medicine, Afzalipour School of Medicine and Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

4 Instructor, Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

5 General Practitioner, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

Abstract

Background & Aims: Disorders caused by iodine, with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations are among the main health - nutritional issues of our community and health priorities. Kerman province was one of the areas with high prevalence of endemic goiter before iodination programs. Since control and monitoring of programs of iodine deficiency elimination in our country is done every 5 years, this study was done to determine any improvement in the prevalence of endemic goiter in Kerman. Methods: In a descriptive cross - sectional study through random sampling, 5380 students in Kerman were investigated for goiter prevalence through clinical examination and graded by World Health Organization classification. Then their serum levels of TSH, T3, T4 and urinary iodine were measured. Results: The overall percentage of goiter in both boys and girls was 34.8%. The mean urinary iodine was 213.7µg/l with no significant difference between boys (212.07±122.65µg/l) and girls (212.60±107.11µg/l). Mean T4 was 8.7µg/l, with no significant difference between girls (8.8±1.9µg/l) and boys (8.6±1.8µg/l). Mean TSH was 2.6, and it was 2.9±1.7µg/l in girls and 2.3±1.2µg/l in boys (P=0.001). Mean T3 was 159.3, with no significant difference between two sexes (162.4±31.3µg/l in girls and 156.9±33.2µg/l in boys). Conclusion: It can be concluded that in comparison with the results of national studies in 1995 and 2001, the percentage of the Goiter had decreased significantly in Kerman students and urinary iodine has reached to the World Health Organization recommended level.

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