A COMPARISON OF IODINE NUTRITIONAL STATUS AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN IN RURAL AND URBAN WEST BENGAL, INDIAArijit DebnathAbstract The iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) survey was conducted in a rural village Kotulpur of the Bankura district and an urban locality in Dakshineswar of the North 24-parganas district of West Bengal during the post-iodization phase. The prevalence of endemic goitre was found to be 22.7 percent in Kotulpur and 31.4 percent in Dakshineswar. The median urinary iodine level in Kotolpur was 8.25 g/dl, while in Dakshineswar it was 9.75 g/dl. Iodine levels were below 15 ppm in approximately 57 percent of salt samples from Kotolpur and approximately 62 percent of salt samples from Dakshineswar. The mean iodine level in Kotolpurâs drinking water was 6.4±1.2 g/dl, indicating an iodine deficient zone, whereas the iodine content in Dakshineswarâs drinking water was 22±3.8 g/dl, indicating an iodine sufficient zone. The mean urinary thiocyanate level in Kotolpur was 0.506 ± 0.181 mg/dl, while it was 0.741 ± 0.206 mg/dl in Dakshineswar. The current study found that endemic goitre was prevalent in both studied areas, regardless of state. This study confirms that existing goitre prevalence in both rural and urban areas could be due to insufficient iodine intake associated with the consumption of anti-thyroid foods and water. |