[Project for the prevention of thyroid pathology and iodine prophylaxis education in the province of Campobasso]

Abstract

A study carried out on primary school population in Campobasso district permitted us to evaluate the goitre prevalence and to effect advertising campaign about use of iodate-salt. In six months of 1997 we effected a screening of 7041 children aged 6-11 years. The project provided a clinical stage (goitre observation by means of inspection and palpation, auxological data picking) and an informative stage (divulgation of informative material, conferences with the teaching staff, television publicity). We attributed a score to the thyroid volume according to WHO classification. Among the 7041 children, 2093 (29.7%) presented goitre of 1A degree and 84 (1.2%) a goitre 1B. Our results showed in Molise a thyroid pathology prevalence higher to the threshold (10%) over that we can define a population affected with endemic goitre. From that the importance of screening programmes in the whole region and the promotion of interventions of iodine-prophylaxis.