Urinary iodine levels in three ecological zones of Bangladesh.

Urinary iodine levels in children (5-11 years) and in adult males and females (15-44 years) of three ecological zones (hilly, flood-prone and plains) of Bangladesh were analyzed to determine the status of biochemical iodine deficiency in the country. Data indicated that a large majority of the population all over Bangladesh have biochemical iodine deficiency urinary iodine excretion (UIE) less than the accepted cut-off level of 10 μg/dl. Adults were deficient to comparable degrees, 31.3% severely iodine deficient. The flood-prone zone was less affected: 71.7% children had iodine deficiency and 25% were severely deficient. Adults of this zone were less affected than the children. Iodine deficiency was least severe in the plain zone: 59.8% children were biochemically iodine deficient and of them 23.4% had UIE less than 2.0 μg/dl. In the case of the adults of this zone, 60.8% were biochemically iodine deficient and 20.6% had severe iodine deficiency. The results indicate that Bangladesh as a whole is an iodine deficient region, with the hilly zone being the most severely affected. Children were slightly more affected than the adults, and females were more affected than the males.