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Interaction of two public health problems in Turkish schoolchildren: nutritional deficiencies and goitre

Betul Ersoy1, Hafize Sunalcan Günes, Turkan Gunay

  • 1Celal Bayar University, Medical Faculty, Department of Pediatrics, Manisa, Turkey. betul.ersoy@bayar.edu.tr

Public Health Nutrition
|November 28, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Goitre and nutritional deficiencies are more prevalent in children with lower socio-economic status. Palpable goitre was associated with lower body mass index, but nutritional disorders did not significantly differ based on socio-economic status in these children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Public Health Nutrition
  • Socioeconomic Determinants of Health

Background:

  • Goitre, a thyroid enlargement, can be influenced by iodine deficiency and other factors.
  • Nutritional status, assessed via anthropometric indices, is crucial for child development.
  • Socio-economic status (SES) is a known determinant of health outcomes in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between palpable goitre, nutritional status, and socioeconomic status in school-aged children.
  • To determine the interaction and association between these key health indicators.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 1018 school-aged children (6-14 years) in an urban area.
  • Assessment of goitre using the World Health Organization's (WHO) palpation system.
  • Evaluation of nutritional status for protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) and anthropometric indices; children categorized by SES.

Main Results:

  • Eight percent of children had palpable goitre. These children exhibited significantly lower body mass index (BMI) and weight-for-height.
  • Higher frequencies of goitre, stunting, and underweight were observed in children from very low SES backgrounds.
  • Socio-economic status was the most significant factor in palpable goitre detection (P=0.004), with fathers' education and occupation being particularly influential.

Conclusions:

  • Children with palpable goitre were generally thinner, but did not show a higher frequency of nutritional disorders compared to those without goitre.
  • Goitre and nutritional deficiencies were more common in children with lower socioeconomic status.
  • The frequency of nutritional disorders in children with palpable goitre was not significantly influenced by socioeconomic status.
Abstract

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