Objective To find out the consumption of iodized salt and foods high in iodine as well as the knowledge of housewives on iodine and heath in Shandong Province, which will provide evidence for adjusting policy on iodized salt and health education.
Methods The housewives of families/relatives/neighbors of the students registered to the School of Medical Technology, Zibo Vocational Institute of 2009 were recruited to the questionnaire survey in Dec. 2010.
Results A total of 6 651 effective questionnaires were collected, 4 190 in iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) areas and 2 461 in non-IDD areas; 1 857 in rural areas and 4 794 in urban areas. In a recent year, 86.18% of the families always consumed iodized salt, 0.48% used salt without iodine, 2.48% switched to non iodized salt, and 10.86% alternated between iodized salt and non iodized salt. The selected families contained 22 171 residents. The estimated daily consumption was (6.17& #177;0.72) g per person for iodized salt, (10.28& #177;1.57) g per person for kelp and laver, and (19.01& #177;2.12) g per person for fish, shrimp and shellfish. In the 6 651 housewives surveyed, 31.95% knew the health effects of iodine deficiency correctly and 1.20% were aware of the adverse effects of excessive iodine consumption.
Conclusion The coverage of iodized salt should be further extended in households in IDD areas while the iodized salt should be controlled in non-IDD areas. It is essential that new methods of health education be promoted immediately and effectively with the joint effort of both the government and the health departments.
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