Abstract

This study was designed to assess the iodine and the anthropometric status of primary school children in a rural Nigerian community (Obukpa). Stratified random sampling technique was used in selecting the respondents for the study. The sample size was 330 children aged 6 to 12⁺ years. The anthropometric measurements of the children comprising 170 boys and 160 girls were obtained using standard procedures. The urine of a sub-sample of 36 children were subjected to laboratory analysis for iodine using “method H”. Data generated from this study were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 12, means, standard deviation, student t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation coefficient (r) values. Anthropometric measurements of the children showed that 25% were stunted. More boys (13.7%) were stunted than girls (11.3%). Stunted children correlated negatively with wasted children significantly (P < 0.05). Urinary iodine showed that 58.3% of the children had <20 µg/L indicating severe iodine deficiency. Iodine levels in urine correlated with stunting and underweight.

Key words: Urinary iodine status, anthropometric status, primary school children.