Prevalence of goiter and utilization of iodized salt among rural residents

Iodine deficiency disorders have always been an endemic problem in India. This study tried to find the prevalence of goiter among 6-12 year old children and assess the level of iodine content in common salt at the consumption point in a block of Jorhat district, Assam. Methodology: Cross-sectional community based study done in a block of Jorhat district, Assam. Results : Prevalence of goiter was found 4.8% clinically among the 6-12 year old children with 4.04% of grade-I goiter. The prevalence was maximum (7.33%) in the age group of 10 to 12 years. Goiter was more common among males (10.44%). Most of the salt samples (85%) tested had adequate iodine content (>15 ppm). Conclusion: The present findings revealed that goiter is no more a public health problem in the study area and iodine content in the salt samples tested were found to be adequate.