The association of thyroid nodule with non-iodized salt among Chinese children

Weimin Xu; Zexin Chen; Hui Liu; Liangliang Huo; Yangmei Huang; Xingyi Jin; Jin Deng; Sujuan Zhu; Wen Jin; Shanchun Zhang; Yunxian Yu

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0102726

The association of thyroid nodule with non-iodized salt among Chinese children

PLoS One. 2014 Jul 28;9(7):e102726. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102726. eCollection 2014.

Authors

Weimin Xu¹, Zexin Chen², Hui Liu³, Liangliang Huo¹, Yangmei Huang¹, Xingyi Jin¹, Jin Deng¹, Sujuan Zhu¹, Wen Jin³, Shanchun Zhang³, Yunxian Yu³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Endemic Diseases Control and Prevention, Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
² Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
³ Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.

Abstract

Objective: The controversy that iodized salt may increase the risk of thyroid disorders has been aroused in China during the past decade. Most of studies focused on adult rather than children. We aimed to explore whether iodized salt was associated with an increased risk of thyroid nodule in Chinese children.

Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in Hangzhou, China, in 2010. Iodized salt intake, urine iodine concentration (UIC) and thyroid nodule (by ultrasonography) were measured in 3026 children. The associations of iodized salt with thyroid nodule were evaluated using multiple logistic regression models.

Results: The prevalence of thyroid nodule was 10.59% among Chinese children. Girls (11.89%) had higher prevalence of thyroid nodule than boys (9.26%). No significant association was observed between type of salt and thyroid nodule in pooled samples, boys and girls, respectively. Similar associations were observed between UIC and thyroid nodule. There was no significant association between milk consumption and thyroid nodule as well.

Conclusion: The present study indicated that non-iodized salt may not increase the risk of thyroid nodules among Chinese children. Similar associations were observed between milk consumption, UIC and thyroid nodules.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Child
China
Female
Humans
Iodine / analysis
Male
Middle Aged
Sodium Chloride / adverse effects*
Thyroid Nodule / chemically induced*

Substances

Sodium Chloride
Iodine

Grants and funding

The study was funded in part by grants from Hangzhou Science and Technology Bureau (Grant number: 200908033B27), National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (Grant number: 2011CB503706), and the National Key Technology R&D Program of China (Grant number: 2009BAI80B01). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.