Abstract
Objective: We studied the question of possible regional differences of iodine intake in the population of rural and urban areas north and south of the Alps.
Design: Transversal study.
Setting: Six different regions from northern (Canton Berne) and southern Switzerland (Canton Ticino).
Subjects: For each region 30 individuals were studied.
Results: While significant differences of urinary iodine between some regions were found (range from 79 μg iodine/g creatinine in Chiasso to 130 μg iodine/g creatinine in the Maggia Valley), no significant differences between rural and urban populations of north and south of Switzerland were observed. Mild iodine deficiency affected 35%, moderate iodine deficiency 12% and severe iodine deficiency 0.6% of the total population investigated.
Conclusions: 49% of this population showed at least mild or moderate iodine deficiency. The mean urinary iodine was just at the lower recommended limits. Significant differences were found between individual regions (such as Chiasso and the Valley of Maggia), but not generally between rural and urban areas in the north and south of the Alps.
Sponsorship: University Hospital, Inselspital, Berne.
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Contributors: Barbara Solcà was the principal investigator, who participated in the conception and design, managed the data collection and field activities, and wrote the first drafts. Silvia E. Jaeggi‐Groisman contributed to statistical analysis, interpretation of the results and in the writing and editing of the manuscript. Valerio Saglini was involved in the fieldwork. Hans Gerber is the guarantor who designed and coordinated the study, supervised field activities and data management and had overall responsibility for interpretation and preparation of the paper.
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Solcà, B., Jaeggi‐Groisman, S., Saglini, V. et al. Iodine supply in different geographical areas of Switzerland: comparison between rural and urban populations in the Berne and the Ticino regions. Eur J Clin Nutr 53, 754–755 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1600857
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1600857
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