Assessment of iodine deficiency in school age children in Nainital District, Uttarakhand State.

Iodine deficiency disorder (IDD) is a major public health problem in Uttarakhand. The present study was conducted in district Nainital, Uttarakhand state with an objective to assess the prevalence of IDD in school age children. A total of 2269 children in the age group of 6-12 years were included. Clinical examination of thyroid of all children was undertaken. "On the spot" urine samples were collected from 611 children. Salt samples were collected from the family kitchen for 642 children. The Total Goitre Rate (TGR) was 15.9%. The proportion of children with urinary iodine excretion levels <20, 20-49, 50-99, 100-199 and 200 μg/L and above, was nil, 11.8, 24.9, 38.3 and 25.0 percent, respectively. The median Urinary Iodine Excretion level was 125μg/L. About 57.7% of the children were consuming salt with iodine content of 15 ppm and more. Findings of the present study indicates that the population is possibly in transition phase from iodine deficient as revealed by Total Goitre Rate of 15.9% to iodine sufficient as revealed by median urinary iodine excretion level of 125 μg/L. There is a need to further strengthen the existing monitoring system for the quality of iodized salt in the district in order to achieve the elimination of IDD.