Dietary and water related factors associated with endemic goitre in school children in Awasa district, southern Ethiopia.
Abstract
A case control study was carried out to identify factors
associated with endemic goitre in school children, 6 - 18
years of age, in Awasa district in Sidamo region, South
Ethiopia. The factors considered in the study were
iodine
supply,
intake, treated water supply, unprotected water
dietary pattern, nutritional status and
fluorosis.
The. cases (children with visible goitre) and controls
(non-goitrous children) were individually matched for age
and sex. A total of 235 individually matched casecontrol
pairs were identified and studied. The
investigation involved clinical examination of goitre and
fluorosis, laboratory analysis of iodine in urine,
anthropometric
questionnaire.
measurement and administration of a
The prevalence of
area was 61.7% out
goitre in school children in the study
of which 11.7% was the visible goitre.
The mean urinary iodine concentrations in both the case
and control groups
9.7 and
were 16.2 pg/dl with standard
deviations of 9.9, respectively. This indicated
that the iodine intake of the two groups was simi la r .
Daily consumption of teff
highly (P<.OOOl) associated
(Eragrositis abyissinica) was
with the presence of visible
goitre in the study children. The odds ratio was 12.5.
High rate of consumption of sugarcane was also
significantly (P<.OOl) associated with the occurrence of
endemic goitre. A significant (P<.OOOl) association was
observed between chlorinated water supply and the
presence of visible goitre in the
odds ratio of 5.3.
study children with an
The results of this investigation suggest that da i Iy
consumption of teff, was the most important factor
associated with the presence of visible goitre in the
school children. Other factors found to have significant
association include use of treated water supply and a
high rate of sugarcane consumption. Since the iodine
intake was similar in both groups,
therefore,
important
further evidence that
the
there
results are
are other
factors that could be associated with the
occurrence of goitre, especially in the study area.
Citation
Master of Science in Applied Human NutritionPublisher
University of Nairobi Department of Food and Nutrition Technology