Iodine Intake in Somalia Is Excessive and Associated with the Source of Household Drinking Water

Abstract

Few data on iodine status in Somalia are available, but it is assumed that deficiency is a public health problem due to the limited access to iodized salt. We aimed to describe the iodine status of the population of Somalia and to investigate possible determinants of iodine status. A national 2-stage, stratified household cluster survey was conducted in 2009 in the Northwest, Northeast, and South Central Zones of Somalia. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was determined in samples from women (aged 15–45 y) and children (aged 6–11 y), and examination for visible goiter was performed in the Northwest and South Central strata. A 24-h household food-frequency questionnaire was conducted, and salt samples were tested for iodization. The median UICs for nonpregnant women and children were 329 and 416 μg/L, respectively, indicating excessive iodine intake (>300 μg/L). The prevalence of visible goiter was <4%. The coverage of salt iodization was low, with a national average of 7.7% (95% CI: 3.2%, 17.4%). Spatial analysis revealed localized areas of relatively high and low iodine status. Variations could not be explained by food consumption or salt iodization but were associated with the main source of household drinking water, with consumers of borehole water having a higher UIC (569 vs. 385 μg/L; P < 0.001). Iodine intake in Somalia is among the highest in the world and excessive according to WHO criteria. Further work is required to investigate the geochemistry and safety of groundwater sources in Somalia and the impact on human nutrition and health.

Iodine Nutritional Status in Schoolchildren from Public Schools in Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Study Exposes Association with Socioeconomic Factors and Food Insecurity

“…In the present investigation of this factor, it was found that the use of water of shallow wells or cisterns for drinking increased the risk of EII by 69%, but this association did not reach significance ( p > 0.05). While a survey in Somalia revealed that the excessive consumption of iodine was associated with the household drinking water source (42), this may be a more regionally specific characteristic, which needs further investigation in order to delineate the levels of iodine concentration from household drinking water sources.…”

Inadequate and Excessive Urinary Iodine Concentration in School Age Girls and Women in Makueni, Eastern Kenya

“…Makueni is a seasons region bordering the coast; most likely potentiating that water from wells and boreholes in the region are likely sources of iodine in water. A study undertaken in Somalia was suggestive that groundwater and surface iodine content is a potential determinant of dietary iodine [22].…”

Iodine Excess as an Environmental Risk Factor for Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

“…Such iodine-rich drinking water has also been found in Somalia [21], Saharawi [22] and Europe [23]. The application of iodine-containing water-purification tablets is another source of excess iodine exposure from drinking water [24,25].…”