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. 2023 Sep 15:16:4193-4205.
doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S415311. eCollection 2023.

Navigating Thyroid Dysfunction and Comorbidities Among University Students in Abbottabad, Pakistan - A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of Screening Tool for Thyroid Dysfunction

Ayesha Iqbal  1   2 , Saira Azhar  3 , Ghulam Murtaza  4 , Rashida Bibi  5 , Sana Samreen  6 , Muhammad Mamoon Iqbal  7   8 , Wajid Syed  9 , Mahmood Basil A Al-Rawi  10
Affiliations

Navigating Thyroid Dysfunction and Comorbidities Among University Students in Abbottabad, Pakistan - A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of Screening Tool for Thyroid Dysfunction

Ayesha Iqbal et al. Int J Gen Med. .

Abstract

Background: Thyroid dysfunction has a direct role in diagnosing, and assessment and indicates the development of thyroid carcinoma. This study aimed to assess thyroid dysfunction through medical camps in different age and sex groups in students of Comsats University Abbottabad Pakistan.

Methods: In this study, a cross-sectional survey design was used. For data collection, a two-day medical camp was set in the Comsats University Abbottabad campus. The students were examined physically for symptoms of thyroid dysfunction using the survey questionnaire specifically designed for this study.

Results: The current research revealed that 78 out of 1032 students, or 7.6% of the population, had thyroid disease. Although 39.3% (=406) were found to have low risk, followed by 36.7% (n=379) had moderate risk and 23.9% (n=247) had high risk of thyroid dysfunction. Altogether, 6.1% (n=63) of the students had high blood pressure (BP), 3.2% (n=33) had high cholesterolemia, 3.4% (n=33) had angina, and 0.9% (n=9) had diabetes mellitus (DM). In relation, students who exhibit signs and symptoms that last longer than five weeks include 42.2% (n=435) who felt the need for excessive sleep, 35.3% (n=364) who felt tired, 36.8% (n=380) who had trouble concentrating and 30.1% (n=311) who had palpitations. The high risk of thyroid being seen predominantly in students between the ages of 15-20 years (31.2%, n=148), as opposed to other age groups (p=0.001). Similar to this, women having a higher risk of thyroid disease (26.5%) than men (22.8%) (p =0.001).

Conclusion: In conclusion, few students suffer with thyroid found to have high risk of thyroid disease. This method of questionnaire-based screening for thyroid dysfunction is cost-effective, with no additive risk of adverse effects from excessive screening, and could help in the early detection of thyroid and help avoid excess costs related to thyroid dysfunction and cancer screening.

Keywords: medical camp; screening; thyroid cancer; thyroid dysfunction.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comorbidities among respondents according to gender.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Combination of comorbidities according to gender.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Types of thyroid disease among students.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Association between comorbidities and thyroid risk levels.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Association between consumption of herbal medicine versus risk levels of thyroid.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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