Investigation on the Present Situation of Iodine Deficiency Disorders in Linzhi Area

Objective To evaluate the present situation of iodine deficiency disorders(IDD) in the area of Linzhi.Methods Children's goiters were measured by palpation and b-ultrasound.The level of urinary iodine in children and women at the reproductive age was measured.Other parameters measured in this study included the intelligence quotient(IQ) ,health knowledge and the use of iodized salt.The area of endemic cretinism was also searched for new cases.Results A total of 14 towns of 4 counties were investigated.The children's goiter rate as determined by palpation and b-ultrasound was 7.8%(102/1308) and 5.5%(69/1248) ,respectively.The median concentration of urinary iodine of children and women was 189.81 μg/L and 121.25 μg/L,respectively.The percentage of children and women with the concentration of urinary iodine over 100 μg/L was 78.2% and 56.5%,respectively.The children's IQ was 78.4.66.3% of the population consumed iodized salt.25.3% of the population had the knowledge of using iodized salt for the disease prevention.New case of endemic cretinism was not found in the endemic area.Conclusion The incidence of IDD is decreasing rapidly in Linzhi areas,but there are still many risk factors associated with iodine deficiency.