The iodine knowledge of pregnant women in an endemic goiter area: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to determine the level of knowledge about iodine nutrition during pregnancy among pregnant women living in the area of Turkey where goiter is endemic. Design/methodology/approach A total of 150 pregnant women aged between 19 and 45 years, registered at the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Clinic in Trabzon were recruited. The data was collected through a voluntary face-to-face survey with pregnant women. The questionnaire comprising questions determining the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants, data concerning any previous pregnancy, iodized salt consumption habits and knowledge about iodine. Findings Although 68% of the women knew that iodine deficiency can cause serious consequences during pregnancy, the remainder did not. The three main dietary sources of iodine in Turkey are fish, cow’s milk and table salt; of the women, 68%, 20% and 77.3%, respectively, correctly identified these as good sources. The more educated of the pregnant women had significantly higher knowledge scores (p < 0.001). However, age, trimester, parity and previous receipt of information about iodine and iodine knowledge scores made no significant differences. Research limitations/implications This study may not be generalizable for all pregnant women. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first pilot study to evaluate the level of knowledge regarding iodine among pregnant women in Turkey.