Existence of iodine deficiency in Hong Kong--a coastal city in southern China
Kung, A.W.; Chan, L.W.; Low, L.C.; Robinson, J.D.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 50(8): 569-572
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0954-3007 PMID: 8863020 Document Number: 457728
Iodine deficiency is a serious public health problem worldwide which is associated with mental retardation and cretinism. In view of a high incidence of transient neonatal hypothyroidism and a relatively high mean cord blood thyrotropin (TSH) concentration, a pilot study was carried out to analyse the urine iodine excretion in Hong Kong, a coastal city in the southern part of China. Early morning urine was collected from healthy volunteers including children (n = 104), adults (n = 112) and elderly subjects (n = 349). A semi-quantitative questionnaire survey on the pattern of food intake was conducted in the adults and elderly. 45.3% of the children, 51.7% of the adults and 55.3% of the elderly had urine iodine concentration below the criteria for iodine sufficiency (< 0.79 mumol/l). Iodine content in the drinking water and salt was low. A dietary survey revealed that seafood was not commonly consumed. 50-80% of the subjects never consumed high-iodine containing food such as seaweed, kelp or laver, and only 50% consumed seawater fish daily. We confirmed that although Hong Kong is a non-goitrous area, iodine insufficiency exists. It is unsafe to assume that iodine deficiency does not exist in coastal urban areas.