Goiter prevalence and iodine deficiency disorder among school-age children (6-12 years) in district Ganderbal of Kashmir valley

Background: Iodine deficiency is a major cause of brain damage in childhood which can be prevented. Dietary deficiency of iodine is mainly responsible for iodine deficiency. This study was done to determine the prevalence of goiter among school-aged group of 6-12 years in district Ganderbal.

Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study done among children of 6-12 years in district Ganderbal.

Results: Out of 2700 children examined, Grade 1 goiter was found in 90 (3.3%) children and Grade 2 goiter was found in 6 (0.3%) with a total goiter rate (sum of grade first and grade second) of 3.6%. On analyzing the urine samples, about 19.1% of the children had mild to moderate iodine deficiency.

Conclusion: The study showed mild goiter prevalence in school-aged children of 6-12 years in the Ganderbal district of Kashmir valley. Continuous periodic surveys to assess the magnitude of the iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) should be undertaken to ensure that we achieve sustainable elimination of IDD in India.