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Iodized household salt utilization and associated factors among households in East Africa: a multilevel modelling analysis using recent national health surveys
Authors: Bewuketu Terefe, Mahlet Moges Jembere, and Nega Tezera Assimamaw
Source: BMC Public Health, Volume 23, Article 2387; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17296-x
Topic(s): Nutrition
Country: Africa
  Multiple African Countries
Published: DEC 2023
Abstract: Introduction Iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs) are a significant global public health issue that affects the physical and mental development of every age group, with children and nursing mothers being the most vulnerable. Approximately 50 million of approximately 2 billion people with iodine deficiency (ID) globally exhibit clinical symptoms. Identifying iodine levels using various techniques is important when considering treatment choices. Screening programs and early ID diagnostics are crucial for the follow-up of pregnant women, especially in iodine-deficient nations. There have been calls for universal salt iodization programs, but only approximately 71% of people have access to them. The problem is more common in developing nations; however, there is a shortage of literature on the individual-, family-, and community-level factors influencing iodized salt use in East Africa. This study aimed to investigate individual- and community-level factors of household iodized salt usage in East Africa. Methods Using Stata 17, this study used the most recent demographic and health survey datasets from twelve East African countries. The survey included a weighted sample of 154,980 households. To assess factors related to iodized salt use in the region, bivariable and multivariable multilevel logistic regressions were used. P values less than or equal to 0.2, and
Web: https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-023-17296-x#citeas