TY - JOUR
T1 - Iodine knowledge is associated with iodine status in Portuguese pregnant women
T2 - Results from the IoMum cohort study
AU - Pinheiro, Cátia
AU - Xavier Moreira, Nara
AU - Ferreira, Pedro
AU - Matta Coelho, Cláudia
AU - Guimarães, Juliana
AU - Pereira, Gonçalo
AU - Cortez, Alice
AU - Bracchi, Isabella
AU - Pestana, Diogo
AU - Barreiros Mota, Inês
AU - Prucha, Carmo
AU - Martins, Cristina
AU - Alves Ribeiro, Célia
AU - Pinto, Edgar
AU - Almeida, Agostinho
AU - Delerue-Matos, Cristina
AU - Montenegro, Nuno
AU - Dias, Cláudia Camila
AU - Moreira-Rosário, André
AU - Azevedo, Luís Filipe Ribeiro De
AU - Brantsæter, Anne Lise
AU - Ramalho, Carla
AU - Cruz Fernandes, Virgínia
AU - Costa Leite, João
AU - Calhau, Conceição
AU - Keating, Elisa
PY - 2021/11/14
Y1 - 2021/11/14
N2 - Lack of knowledge about iodine has been suggested as a risk factor for iodine deficiency in pregnant women but no studies have addressed this issue in Portugal. So, the aim of this study was to investigate iodine knowledge among Portuguese pregnant women and its association with iodine status. IoMum, a prospective observational study, included 485 pregnant women recruited at Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de S. João, Porto, between the 10th and 13th gestational weeks. Partial scores for knowledge on iodine importance, on iodine food sources or on iodised salt were obtained through the application of a structured questionnaire. Then, a total iodine knowledge score was calculated and grouped in low, medium and high knowledge categories. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was measured in spot urine samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. 54% of pregnant women correctly recognized iodine as important to neurocognitive development, 32% were unable to identify any iodine rich food and 71% presented lack of knowledge regarding iodised salt. 61% of women had a medium total score of iodine knowledge. Knowledge on iodine importance during pregnancy was positively associated with iodine supplementation and also with UIC. Nevertheless, median UIC in women that correctly recognized the importance of iodine was below the cut-off for adequacy in pregnancy (150 μg/L). In conclusion, knowledge on iodine importance associated positively with iodine status. Despite this, recognizing iodine importance during pregnancy may not be sufficient to ensure iodine adequacy. Literacy promoting actions are urgently needed to improve iodine status in pregnancy.
AB - Lack of knowledge about iodine has been suggested as a risk factor for iodine deficiency in pregnant women but no studies have addressed this issue in Portugal. So, the aim of this study was to investigate iodine knowledge among Portuguese pregnant women and its association with iodine status. IoMum, a prospective observational study, included 485 pregnant women recruited at Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de S. João, Porto, between the 10th and 13th gestational weeks. Partial scores for knowledge on iodine importance, on iodine food sources or on iodised salt were obtained through the application of a structured questionnaire. Then, a total iodine knowledge score was calculated and grouped in low, medium and high knowledge categories. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was measured in spot urine samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. 54% of pregnant women correctly recognized iodine as important to neurocognitive development, 32% were unable to identify any iodine rich food and 71% presented lack of knowledge regarding iodised salt. 61% of women had a medium total score of iodine knowledge. Knowledge on iodine importance during pregnancy was positively associated with iodine supplementation and also with UIC. Nevertheless, median UIC in women that correctly recognized the importance of iodine was below the cut-off for adequacy in pregnancy (150 μg/L). In conclusion, knowledge on iodine importance associated positively with iodine status. Despite this, recognizing iodine importance during pregnancy may not be sufficient to ensure iodine adequacy. Literacy promoting actions are urgently needed to improve iodine status in pregnancy.
KW - iodine deficiency
KW - iodine knowledge
KW - iodine nutrition
KW - iodine status
KW - iodine supplementation
KW - pregnancy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099813992&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S0007114521000155
DO - 10.1017/S0007114521000155
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85099813992
SN - 0007-1145
VL - 126
SP - 1331
EP - 1339
JO - British Journal Of Nutrition
JF - British Journal Of Nutrition
IS - 9
ER -