Iodine status of pregnant women and children age 6 to 12 years feeding from the same food basket in Mopani district, Limpopo province, South Africa

  • Eric Mabasa University of Venda
  • Ngoako Solomon Mabapa University of Venda
  • Pieter J Jooste Iodine Global Network
  • Xikombiso Gertrude Mbhenyane Stellenbosch University
Keywords: iodine deficiency and excess, pregnant women, school age children, urinary and household salt and drinking water iodine concentration

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the iodine status of pregnant women and children age 6 to 12 years feeding from the same food basket in Mopani District.

Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted.

Setting: The setting was primary health care clinics and households from five municipalities of Mopani District in Limpopo province.

Subjects: A total of 565 conveniently selected pregnant women and 116 children aged 6 to 12 years were recruited, of which 116 were mother–child pairs.

Methods: The demographic information, iodine nutrition knowledge and salt consumption patterns were obtained using a validated questionnaire. Spot urine, household drinking water and salt samples were collected and analysed for iodine using standard procedures. A professional nurse, using filter paper to determine thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, collected spot finger-stick blood samples from pregnant women.

Results: The findings showed that only 52.5% of household salt had an iodine concentration level of more than and equal to 15 ppm. The median iodine concentration of household drinking water was 46.2 μg/l (interquartile range [IQR] 10.8–73.4 μg/l). The TSH levels of the majority of pregnant women were normal and the maternal overall median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was 164 μg/l (IQR 92–291 μg/l), indicating maternal iodine sufficiency. However, median UIC in the first and third trimesters was below 150 μg/l, indicating iodine insufficiency. The UIC level of children in the study was 386 μg/l (IQR 200–525 μg/l), signifying iodine excess.

Conclusion: Iodine status of pregnant women in this study was sufficient, with UIC for children excessively high, more than two times higher than the iodine status of pregnant women. The reasons for the excessive UIC in school-age children need to be elucidated.

The full article is available at https://doi.org/10.1080/16070658.2018.1449370

Author Biographies

Eric Mabasa, University of Venda

School of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition, University of Venda, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Ngoako Solomon Mabapa, University of Venda

School of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition, University of Venda, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Pieter J Jooste, Iodine Global Network

Iodine Global Network, Regional Coordinator, Cape Town, Southern Africa and Centre of Excellence for Nutrition, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa

Xikombiso Gertrude Mbhenyane, Stellenbosch University

Division of Human Nutrition, Department of Interdisciplinary Health sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa

Published
2019-02-22
How to Cite
Mabasa, E., Mabapa, N., Jooste, P., & Mbhenyane, X. (2019). Iodine status of pregnant women and children age 6 to 12 years feeding from the same food basket in Mopani district, Limpopo province, South Africa. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 32(3), 27. Retrieved from http://sajcn.co.za/index.php/SAJCN/article/view/1165
Issue
Vol 32 No 3 (2019)
Section
Original Research
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