Prevalence of Goiter among Primary School Children of Kulgam District, Jammu & Kashmir, India

Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) is a major public health problem in India, especially in the sub-Himalayan belt. The Kashmir valley is a known iodine deficiency endemic area. T his study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of goiter among primary school children in Kulgam district of Jammu & Kashmir state of India. This study was carried out using a 30-cluster survey method among primary schools of Kulgam district using population proportionate to size (PPS) sampling techniques. A total of 2700 school children, including 1350 boys and 1350 girls from the first to seventh grades in the age group of 6 to 12 years, were examined. The overall prevalence of goiter expressed as Total Goiter Rate (TGR) was 18.9%; 21.2% among boys and 16.7% among girls. Higher goiter rates were found in the older age groups; 23.1% among 11 years and 21.9% among 12 years old children. Keywords: Thyroid disorders, Goiter , Goiter prevalence, Iodine deficiency, IDD, Total Goiter Rate, TGR, Kashmir