Estimation of salt intake and recommendation for iodine content in iodized salt in Mongolia

In 1996, the Mongolian Government pledged to eliminate iodine deficiency disorders by 2001 using salt iodization as its primary strategy. Iodine content in salt was set at 50 +/- 10 PPM based on an assumption of 5 g of daily salt intake. In 1998, the authors suspected that salt intake was more than 5 g and that pregnant women consumed more salt than non-pregnant women. Over 1,600 adults of both sexes were studied in five provinces. In this study we estimated salt intake based on urinary excretion of sodium and creatinine. A formula was used to calculate salt intake from excreted volumes of sodium and creatinine. Average values for pregnant women, non-pregnant women, and men, were found to be 15.6 g (n = 499), 12.6 g (n = 598), and 14.6 g (n = 571), respectively. We concluded that appropriate iodine content in salt should range from 20 to 40 PPM. It is recommended that health education regarding proper levels of salt intake be carried out with the general public, with emphasis on pregnant women.