Prevalence of Goitre among School-age Children in Jimma Town, South West Ethiopia

Abstract

Objectives: Assess the prevalence of goitre among school-age children in Jimma town, south west Ethiopia. Methods: A two-stage cluster design was used to select schools and classrooms based on proportion-to-population-size. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select 752 schoolchildren. WHO/UNICEF/ICCIDD classification scheme was used to evaluate goitre. UNICEF's field test kits were used to measure iodine content in salt. Results: The overall prevalence of goitre was 37.2% (264/709), of which 25.8% were grade I and 11.4% were grade II goitre. The prevalence of goitre among girls was 41.1% (162/394) and boys was 32.4 (102/315). Only 10.3% of table salt sample from the children's home had adequate level of iodine (>15 ppm). Conclusions: The prevalence of goitre among school-age children in Jimma is high, indicating severe Iodine Deficiency Disorder necessitating immediate intervention with iodine capsules. A massive effort is necessary from the government and stakeholders in advocating the use of iodized salt and more support is needed for female school-age children. Further research should be carried out to enhance better understanding of associated factors and appropriate response to Iodine Deficiency Disorder.