Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Turkish Journal of Pediatrics, cilt.48, sa.2, ss.119-123, 2006 (SCI-Expanded)
Goiter prevalence and urinary iodine excretion levels were assessed in 568 schoolchildren (317 boys and 251 girls), aged 7-11 years, living in the Malatya province, a well-known endemic goiter area in Turkey. Five hundred sixty-eight children aged 7-11 years consented to thyroid gland palpation and provided a urine sample on the day of examination in April 2004. Median urinary iodine concentration for the total group was 66 μg/L. There was an association between presence of goiter or not and urinary iodine levels (67 μg/L versus 62 μg/L, p=0.000). The median urinary iodine concentration was lower in rural areas than in urban areas (54.6 μg/L versus 59.7 μg/L, respectively) and schoolchildren living in rural areas had significantly lower urinary iodine levels (p=0.000). In conclusion, the present study reports mild iodine deficiency in the Malatya province, despite a mandatory iodization program in Turkey which has been in force since 1998.