The Status and Knowledge of Iodine among Pregnant Women in Shanghai

Abstract

Iodine plays an important role in thyroid function. However, in daily practices, people lack the related details including the knowledge concerned iodine usage, attitudes towards it, and practice among pregnant women. The aim of the present study is to assess the iodine status of pregnant women in Shanghai, and their knowledge regarding iodine, with the goal of investigating the relationship between iodine and thyroid function during pregnancy. This is a cross-sectional study. We recruited 3 groups of participants including 145 pregnant women (12-16 weeks gestation), 101 pregnant women (24-28 weeks gestation), and 108 pregnant women (34-38 weeks gestation). Iodine status and dietary intake were calculated from 24-h urinary iodine concentration (UIC). Knowledge regarding iodine was collected through a questionnaire. We additionally examined TSH, FT3, FT4, and TPOAb of the participants. The median of UIC of the 354 pregnant women was 119.2 μg/L, and 68.9% had urinary iodine levels below 150 μg/L. The proportion of daily iodized salt consumption in pregnant women was only 78.0%. The median UIC of the pregnant women who had consumed iodized salt was significantly higher than that of the pregnant women without iodized salt intake (Z = - 5.087, P < 0.001). Pregnant women in weeks 34-38 with a high level of knowledge had significantly lower TSH levels than those with low knowledge level (P = 0.046). Among the 349 pregnant women, few were aware of the harm to the fetus (8.3%). Significant differences were found in the scores for the knowledge level of women with different educational levels (Z = - 5.413, P < 0.001). Pregnant women in Shanghai have mild iodine deficiency. Approaches to improve iodine status among pregnant women in Shanghai include raising their awareness of iodine intake and changing their dietary habits. Otherwise, the risk of iodine deficiency in pregnant women may continue to increase.

Keywords: 24-h urine iodine; Iodine status; Pregnant women; Questionnaire; Thyroid function.