ABSTRACT

We studied urine iodine excretion as a marker for iodine nutrition among school children aged from 6 to 15 years.

The study population consisted of healthy children attending to a private primary school in Bak›rköy district. Urine samples were collected from 263 children during 1.4.2003-1.6.2003. The samples were then studied for iodine levels spectrophotometrically, based on the Sandell-Kolthoff reaction. The parents of those students included in our study filled a questionnaire about household use of iodized salt. The statistical analysis of the data was worked out by SPSS 11.5.

Iodine levels of the urine samples ranged from a minimum of 2.3µg/dl to a maximum of 37.8µg/dl (mean 16.4 ± 6.68). Data acquired from the questionnaires revealed that the households of 262(87.6%) children were using iodized salt.

Using urine iodine levels as a marker for iodine nutrition, the results of our study demonstrated 2.66% moderate iodine deficiency, 15.21% mild deficiency, 53.61% sufficiency, 26.62% excess and 1.90% over excess among our study population.

Keywords: : Iodine, school-aged children, nutrition