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Iodine is an essential element for normal human growth and development. The daily per capita requirement is 150 mcg. Deficiency of iodine in the daily diet may lead to the development of goiter and other iodine deficiency disorders, including mental and physical retardation and endemic cretinism. Salt samples from the families of 252 children were taken from 3 randomly selected government primary schools in Nand Nagri, an urban resettlement colony of East Delhi. The iodine content of the samples was then analyzed by one researcher using the Spot Testing Kit (STK), while another researcher analyzed the samples using the Standard Iodometric Titration (SIT) method at the Department of Human Nutrition in AIIMS, New Delhi. Test results were then analyzed using a 2 x 2 table. Specificity, sensitivity, and predictive values of the STK were calculated using the SIT method as the gold standard. The STK was found to be 97.14% sensitive, 80.76% specific, and with a negative predictive value of 98.65%. The STK is therefore a highly useful tool with which to estimate the iodine content of salt in community settings. |
