Question

As per the World Health Organisation guidelines, iodine deficiency disorders are considered a public health problem in a community if the prevalence of goiter in school age children is more than:

• A. 1%
• B. 5%
• C. 10%
• D. 15%

Hint:

WHO uses total goiter rate in school children to grade IDD as a public health problem.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

The question is about the WHO threshold that marks iodine deficiency disorder (IDD) as a public health problem in a community.

1. 1%: This is within the range seen even where iodine intake is adequate, so it is too low to count as a problem.
2. 5%: WHO, UNICEF and ICCIDD set this as the line. A total goiter rate at or above 5% in school age children means IDD is a public health concern there.
3. 10%: This level already falls inside the mild category once the 5% line is crossed, but it is not the starting cut off.
4. 15%: This too lies within the mild band above 5%, again not the defining cut off.

The screening group used is children aged 6 to 12 years, since their goiter rate best reflects the community's current iodine status. Once the rate crosses 5%, the area is labelled iodine deficient, and further bands (mild, moderate, severe) grade how bad the deficiency is.

Let's summarize:

• Total goiter rate in school age children is the indicator WHO uses for IDD.
• 5% or more marks the community as having an IDD public health problem.

So the answer is more than 5%.