1. Iodine knowledge is associated with iodine status in Portuguese pregnant women: results from the IoMum cohort study
- Author
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Cristina Delerue-Matos, Gonçalo Da Graça Pereira, Isabella Bracchi, Anne Lise Brantsæter, Inês Mota, Pedro Ferreira, J. T. Guimarães, Nara Xavier Moreira, Alice Cortez, Edgar Pinto, Conceição Calhau, Cátia Pinheiro, Elisa Keating, Célia Ribeiro, Agostinho Almeida, João Costa Leite, Cristina Araújo Martins, Virgínia Cruz Fernandes, Carmo Prucha, Cláudia Matta Coelho, Cláudia Camila Dias, André Moreira-Rosário, Diogo Pestana, Carla Ramalho, Nuno Montenegro, Luís Filipe Azevedo, Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, and Repositório Científico do Instituto Politécnico do Porto
- Subjects
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Nutritional Status ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Iodine ,Iodine status ,Cohort Studies ,Pregnancy ,Humans ,Medicine ,Iodine nutrition ,Sodium Chloride, Dietary ,Risk factor ,Nutrition and Dietetics ,Portugal ,business.industry ,Obstetrics ,medicine.disease ,Iodine deficiency ,language.human_language ,Iodine supplementation ,Iodised salt ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,chemistry ,language ,Iodine knowledge ,Female ,Observational study ,Pregnant Women ,Portuguese ,business ,Cohort study - Abstract
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 into low, medium and high knowledge categories. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was measured in spot urine samples by inductively coupled plasma MS. Of the pregnant women, 54 % correctly recognised iodine as important to neurocognitive development, 32 % were unable to identify any iodine-rich food and 71 % presented lack of knowledge regarding iodised salt. Of the women, 61 % 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 who correctly recognised the importance of iodine was below the cut-off for adequacy in pregnancy (150 µg/l). In conclusion, knowledge on iodine importance is positively associated with iodine status. Despite this, recognising iodine importance during pregnancy may not be sufficient to ensure iodine adequacy. Literacy-promoting actions are urgently needed to improve iodine status in pregnancy. This work was supported by National Funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/MCTES within CINTESIS, R&D Unit (reference UID/IC/4255/2019) and REQUIMTE (reference UIDB/info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDB/50006/2020/PT) and through FCT postdoctoral fellowship (V. C. F., grant number SFRH/BPD/109153/2015).
- Published
- 2021