Seema Imdad, Rizwana Muzaffar, Malik Shahid Shoukat.
Appraisal of Iodine Status and Goiter Rate in Adolescent School Girls of City District Lahore.
Pak J Med Health Sci Jan ;7(3):630-4.

Aim: To appraise the iodine status & goiter rate of adolescent girls’ population in City District, Lahore. Study design: It was a community based study, conducted through cross-sectional approach. Place and duration of study: The study was conducted from 21st March to 02nd June, 2009 in 66 public and private girls secondary schools situated within urban and rural areas of Capital City District, Lahore. Methods: The study population comprised adolescent school girls of age group 11-16 years in 09 administrative towns of Lahore. Multistage sampling technique was used. In first stage, 75 schools in Lahore were selected by simple random sampling. In second stage, 10 girls students of 11-16 years age from each school were selected by using the table of random number. 660 subjects were recruited for the study and urine samples were collected for urinalysis. In third stage, 01 girl student out of 10 from each school was randomly selected and her venous blood taken for TSH estimation. Data was collected through interview on predesigned and pretested questionnaire. Clinical examination of thyroid glands of sample population was carried out according to WHO’s classification. Chi-square and ANOVA tests were employed to determine the relationship between thyroid size and UI and TSH levels. P-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Of sample population (n=660), 78.6% (519) had goiter of grade-0, whereas 21.10% (139) revealed goiter of grade 01A, 01B & 02, showing goiter rate of 21.10%. On further analysis, 8.8% (58) respondents having goiter of grade 01A, 01B and 02 were found with lower UI level [iodine deficiency goiter]. 12.25% (81) respondents had goiter of grade 01A, 01B and 02 with optimal UI level. The presence of goiter with optimal UI level may be due to puberty [physiological goiter] or some pathological reason (s) other than iodine deficiency. The figure of 8.8% as against <05% recommended by WHO signified public health problem. Statistical analysis (P value <0.01) confirmed a strong inverse association between the size of thyroid gland and urinary iodine level Conclusion: The goiter rate of 8.8% in the adolescent girls of Lahore with lower urinary iodine level invites the attention of policy makers and enforcing agencies.

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