Urinary Iodine Status in School Aged Children Clinical Trial
Official title:
Iodine Status in Portuguese Children and the Role of Salt Fortification in School Canteens
It is well known that insufficient iodine intakes impairs the production of thyroid
hormones, essential for cognitive development and healthy growth.
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) promotes public health measures for an adequate
iodine consumption, it is estimated that one in three school age children remain iodine
deficient worldwide. Whereas there is no mandatory iodisation programs in Portugal, young
infants are among the most vulnerable to iodine deficiency due to their special
requirements.
Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate iodine status in school age Portuguese
children (6-12y), compare iodine status in children, cognitive outcomes and thyroid health
and monitor the use of iodised salt in school canteens exploring potential implications in
children's iodine status.
Iodine is essential for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones, especially
during periods of increased susceptibility, are crucial for neurodevelopment. Inadequate
levels of iodine in the diet may lead to a strong and decisive cognitive impairment which
poses a major public health challenge. The World Health Organization prioritized the intake
of iodine and recommends the universal enrichment of salt with iodine, so it may reach the
general population. In 2013 the Portuguese Department of Education (DGE) issued, as a result
of the collaboration with the Portuguese Department of Health (DGS) under the National
Program to Promote Healthy Eating a directive introducing the use of iodized salt in school
canteens. To ensure the effectiveness and the impact of these policies in Portugal, this
project aims to (1) evaluate urinary iodine status in school children (6-12 y), (2) monitor
the use of iodized salt in schools, (3) explore potential associations between these
parameters. The results of this project will be used to educate food service professionals
regarding the use of iodized salt and inform the community about the impact of iodine in
health, based on the Norwegian model.
In this study a total of 4800 school aged children will be recruited from approximately 160
schools in the north of Portugal. Parents will be asked to complete the CBCL 6-18, Child
Behaviour Checklist and a comprehensive questionnaire which will collect data regarding the
child lifestyle and diet. A urine sample will be collected from each participant in school
and the Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices will be applied to evaluate children cognitive
performance. Anthropometry measurements will be also collected.
;
Time Perspective: Cross-Sectional