Publication:

Assessment of the magnitude of goitre in the age group of 6-12 years in district Bandipora of Kashmir division

Background Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) have remained an unresolved public health problem in India. This study was done to determine the prevalence of goitre among school-aged group of 6–12 years in district Bandipora.

Methods This was a cross-sectional study done among children of 6–12 years in district Bandipora. Multi-stage 30 cluster sampling was used to select the study sample. For the selection of 30 clusters in each district, probability proportional to size (PPS) was employed. From each cluster, 90 children were selected.

Results Out of 2700 children examined, Grade 1 goiter was found in 359 (13.3%) children and Grade 2 goiter was found in 50 (1.85 %) with a total goiter rate (sum of grade first and grade second) of 15.14%. On analysing the urine samples, about 22% of the children had mild to moderate iodine deficiency.

Conclusions The study showed mild goitre prevalence in school-aged children of 6–12 years in the Bandipora district of Kashmir valley. Continuous periodic surveys to assess the magnitude of the iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) and ensuring the availability of iodized salt should be undertaken to ensure sustainable elimination of IDD in India.