Iodine nutrition status in Africa: potentially high prevalence of iodine deficiency in pregnancy even in countries classified as iodine sufficient
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Public Health Nutrition
Abstract
To assess the burden of iodine deficiency in pregnancy in Africa using
estimated pregnancy median urinary iodine concentration (pMUIC).
Design: pMUIC for each African country was estimated using a regression equation
derived by correlating the school-age children (SAC) median UIC (mUIC) and
pMUIC from countries around the globe, and the SAC mUIC data for African countries
obtained from the Iodine Global Network (IGN) 2017 and 2019 Score cards.
Setting: Iodine deficiency was endemic in many African countries before the introduction
of iodine fortification, mainly through universal salt iodisation programmes
about 25 years ago. There is a scarcity of data on the level of iodine nutrition in
pregnancy in Africa. Women living in settings with pMUIC below 150 μg/l are
at risk of iodine deficiency-related pregnancy complications.
Participants: Fifty of the fifty-five African countries that had data on iodine nutrition
status.
Results: A cut-off school age mUIC ≤ 175 μg/l is correlated with insufficient iodine
intake in pregnancy (pregnancy mUIC ≤ 150 μg/l). Twenty-two African countries
had SAC mUIC < 175 μg/l, which correlated with insufficient iodine intake during
pregnancy (pMUIC < 150 μg/l). However, nine of these twenty-two countries had
adequate iodine intake based on SAC mUIC.
Conclusions: There is likely a high prevalence of insufficient iodine intake in pregnancy,
including in some African countries classified as having adequate iodine
intake in the general population. A SAC mUIC ≤ 175 μg/l predicts insufficient
iodine intake among pregnant women in these settings.
Description
Keywords
Iodine deficiency, Urinary iodine concentration, Pregnancy Africa, Pregnancy
Citation
Businge, C. B., Longo-Mbenza, B., & Kengne, A. P. (2021). Iodine nutrition status in Africa: potentially high prevalence of iodine deficiency in pregnancy even in countries classified as iodine sufficient. Public Health Nutrition, 24(12), 3581-3586. doi:10.1017/S1368980020002384