People's Knowledge and Practice of Salt Iodization, as Well as the Assessment of Iodine Content in Salt in the Cumilla Region of Bangladesh
Sadia Jahan
Department of Pharmacy, Comilla University, Bangladesh.
Md. Saddam Hossain
Department of Pharmacy, Comilla University, Bangladesh.
Md. Anisur Rahman Bhuiyan
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Susmita Roy Lisa
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Somaia Haque Chadni *
Department of Pharmacy, Comilla University, Bangladesh and Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA and Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aim: To evaluate the household iodine content and knowledge, attitude, and behavior regarding salt iodization among the residents of Cumilla, Bangladesh.
Subjects and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 700 inhabitants in Cumilla's urban and rural areas to determine the iodine concentration of salt they consume. The participants were asked about what they know about iodine deficiency and salt iodization as well as how their salt was packaged and stored. Among them, 338 people provided a sample of salt to be tested of its iodine content by the titrimetric method.
Results: 46.57% of people knew that iodization was the best way to prevent iodine deficiency while 35.14% considered salt iodization during purchasing. Most people stored salt in plastic boxes (89.7%) and closed containers (84.14%).Among all participants, only 37.14% of people were aware of the iodine requirement during pregnancy.
In urban regions, the median iodine content was 36.76 ppm (OR=0.658, 95% CI, 0.469-0.925), while in rural areas, the median iodine content was 40.92 ppm (OR=1.188, 95% CI, 1.022-1.380). Iodine levels were less than 15 ppm (minimum limit) in 6.8% of samples and greater than 40 ppm (maximum limit) in 56.5%. Only 36.7% of the salt samples contained adequate iodine.
Conclusion: An effective and consistent approach for controlling iodine concentration in distributed salt is required at Cumilla, Bangladesh.
Keywords: Iodine deficiency, salt iodization, knowledge, practices, titrimetric method