Abstract

Background: A high level of awareness of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) is very important for its prevention and control in the community.
Objective: To study the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding IDD and the use of iodized salt in relation to IDD.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in three areas of Khammam district, Telangana, India. A total number of households surveyed were 272. A structured knowledge and practices questionnaire was used to collect data from the head of the household. The data were collected with reference to knowledge, attitude and practices regarding IDD (its signs and symptoms, treatment and prevention, benefits of iodine, awareness of iodized salt, and sources of information). Descriptive analysis and Chi-square test were used to present the data.
Results: In this study, only 26.1% of the households were aware of IDD. More than half of respondents (67.6%) had heard about iodized salt, the most common source of information being a television (51.5%). 96.3% of the households were using iodized salt. Of the total salt samples, only 10 samples (3.7%) have iodine content <15 ppm. Significant association was found between the awareness of IDD and education (P < 0.001), awareness about the benefits of iodized salt and the type of salt used (P < 0.01) while no association was observed between socioeconomic status and the type of salt used among the households. Conclusion: Although the use of iodized salt was more than 96%, more than half of the households lacked the knowledge about iodine deficiency diseases. There is a big gap between the awareness of the benefits of iodized salt and its consumption per se. Health education session on IDD and the benefits of iodized salt should be carried out with a special focus on illiterate people.