[Ways of enhancing mentality in schoolchildren from an iodine-deficiency region].

Mentality was studied in 537 schoolchildren aged 7-8, 10-11, and 15-16 years who lived in an iodine-deficiency region. Its low level was found in 71% of the children. A comprehensive program was worked out and used to enhance the schoolchildren's mentality in iodine deficiency. It included the use of Iodomarine in a dose of 100 microg/day, lectures for and discussions with the children and their parents, dissemination of information materials on iodine deficiency and sequels. The program was implemented in the study group during an academic year. After prophylaxis, the sizes of the thyroid became normal in 21% of the children in the study group. There was a reduction in the number of patients with decreased attention, memory, and thinking from 49.8 to 20.7%, from 38.7 to 22.5%, and from 23.2 to 15.1%, respectively. Anxiety grade decreased in 14.7% of the pupils. A more beneficial effect was observed in junior-form pupils. The obtained results made it possible to define the informative indices of decreased mentality in schoolchildren due to iodine deficiency.