The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #70034

Chieri Yamada, Ph D, School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Honcho, Hirosaki, Japan, +81-172-395945, cyamada@cc.hirosaki-u.ac.jp and D Oyunchimeg, MD, Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Olympic Street, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Purpose: we found that a certain level of occasional use of iodized salt brought the similar reduction of the goiter rate to regular use, by a cross-sectional study in 2001 in Mongolia. With aims of clarify this finding and reconsidering the iodized salt coverage for eliminating iodine deficiency disorders, a study was initiated in 2001 by providing iodized salt to households that had never used it and goiter rate of children in those households were observed for over a year.

Methods: In two provinces in Mongolia, households of selected 300 children (age: 7 to 11 years old) were randomly assigned to the three groups that received two kg of iodized salt bimonthly, for every three months, and for every four months, from November of 2000 until April of 2002. At the pre- and post-study, children were measured their thyroid grant using ultrasonography and the goiter rates were observed.

Results: The initial goiter rate was 56.6% and post intervention rates were less than 5% in each group after 17-18 months.

Conclusion: The goiter rates in three groups reduced to under 5% that indicated there was no longer iodine deficiency among them. This implied that households used a certain amount of iodized salt but not regularly should be considered as effective iodized salt users in Mongolia.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participants in this session will be able to:
• Recognize occasional use of iodized salt normalized goiter development among children in Mongolia where universal salt iodization has not been applied yet
• Describe a preventive level of iodized salt consumption is determined by average iodine intake counted by salt intake amount and iodine added to salt.
• Develop a own monitoring indicator for IDD national preventive level of iodized salt coverage in countrieswhere universal salt ioedization has not been applied, not only by national iodized salt amount consumed, but also by taking acount of households that consumed a certain amount of iodized salt.

Keywords: Food and Nutrition,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.