Iodine deficiency is a major health problem
worldwide
(March 2004)
The background of the study.
Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of preventable mental
retardation in the world, despite efforts to increase iodine intake
in many countries. This study summarizes the results of surveys
of iodine intake conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO)
in many countries in the past decade.
How the study was done.
Data were collected on urinary excretion of iodine in many countries
from 1993 to 2003. The country-wide frequency of iodine deficiency,
defined as urinary iodine excretion <100 µg/L, was then
estimated. The estimates were based on the extent of sampling within
the country (local, regional, or national) and the people studied
(children, adults, pregnant women). The data and the details of
this analysis can be seen at http://www3.who.int/whosis/micronutrient/.
The results of the study.
Data on urinary iodine excretion were available from 192 countries,
representing 92 percent of the world’s population. Based on
worldwide population estimates for 2002, more than 1.9 billion people
were iodine-deficient. They included 285 million school-age children
(6 to 12 years), representing 36 percent of all school-age children.
There was considerable regional variation in the prevalence of
iodine deficiency. The prevalence was lowest in the Americas (all
ages, 10 percent; school-age children, 10 percent) and highest in
Europe (all ages, 57 percent; school-age children, 60 percent).
These rates correlate with estimates of the proportions of households
in which iodized salt is consumed—90 percent in the Americas
and 27 percent in Europe.
The conclusions of the study.
Iodine deficiency continues to be common throughout the world.
The original article.
De Benoist B, Andersson M, Takkouche B, Egli I. Prevalence of iodine
deficiency worldwide. Lancet 2003;362:1859-60.
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