Table 2 Design and major findings of studies on iodine nutrition and IDD in Ethiopia published between the years 2000–2015

Abuye and Urga 2000 [19]

Cross sectional

Four locations: Amhara (Shoa) Oromia (Jimma & Arsi) SNNPR (Gamo Gofa)

Elementary school children (2485)

Goiter rate, UIC, iodine concentration in water, common foods of plant origin and milk, bacterial contamination of drinking water

- 53.3 % gross goiter prevalence

- 0.33–0.70 μmol/L UIE rate

Takele et al. 2003 [11]

Cross sectional

Oromia region: Shebe town -Jimma zone, Southwest

Retail shops and households (332)

Iodine content of household and shop salt

The iodine content:

0–75 ppm in household salt

0.1–75 ppm in shop samples salt

Tsegaye and Ergete 2004 [34]

Retrospective analysis (cohort study)

Tikur Anbessa teaching and referral hospital, Addis Ababa

Patients with thyroid disease (780)

Histopathologic patterns of thyroid disease and their relationship with age and sex over a five year period.

• Higher non-neoplastic (79 %) than that of neoplastic (21 %)

• Nodular colloid goiter recorded in 76.9 % cases

• Adenoma, carcinoma and thyroiditis accounted for 12.8 %, 64 8.2 % and 16 2.1 % cases, respectively.

• 85.7 % thyroid diseases in the age group of 20–59 years

Berhanu et al. 2004 [22]

Cross sectional

SNNPR region: Kafa Zone, Southwestern

Students, aged 6–15 years (1044)

Goiter rate

27.4 % goiter prevalence

Kidane and Woldegebriel 2006 [33]

Cross sectional

Tigray region: Neksege Sub District Northern

The entire population (946)

Total goiter rate

71.4 % community goiter prevalence with 59.5 % in males and 80.2 % in females.

Abuye et al. 2007 [16]

Cross sectional

National level

Children aged 6–12 years (10,965)

Total goiter rate and UIC

• 39.9 % total goiter prevalence

• 2.45 μg/dL median UIE

Abuye and Berhane 2007 [13]

Cross sectional

National level

women in child bearing, 15–49 years old (10998)

Total goiter rate

35.8 % total goiter prevalence

Bezabih et al. 2007 [29]

Cross sectional

Amhara region: Bahir Dar town, northwest

Primary school children (386)

UIC

58.8 mg/L median UIE

Abuye et al. 2008 [47]

Cross sectional

Five regional states: Amhara, Oromia, Tigray, SNNPR & Benshangul-Gumuz

Children and their biological mothers (6960)

Goiter, UIC and cassava consumption

• Cassava consumption and high altitude were risk factors for IDD

• Goitre affected those who frequently consume cassava significantly than who did not

Bogale et al. 2009 [23]

Cross sectional

SNNPR region: Rural Sidama, Southern

Children and their biological mothers (100)

Goiter grade, UIC, Raven’s CPM and cognitive tests from the Kaufman ABC-II

• 85 % Goiter prevalence in the mothers and 33 % in children

• 1 μg/L median UIC for both mothers and children

• short term memory correlated to child goiter,

• cognition also associated with child UIE

Shawel et al. 2010 [5]

Cross sectional

Northern Ethiopia: Tigray

Producers, Retailers and consumers (80)

Concentration of iodine in sampled salts

57 % iodine concentration in the sampled salts decreased in between production site and the consumers

Girma et al. 2012 [26]

Cross sectional

SNNPR region: Hawassa town

School children aged 7–9 years (116)

Goiter rate, urinary iodine concentration, dietary patterns and caretaker knowledge of iodine deficiency

• 13.6 % total goiter rate

• 34.2 μg/L the median UIC

• low iodine in foods made from grains and consumption of animal source foods

• Limited knowledge about the importance of iodized salt

Mezgebu et al. 2012 [7]

Cross sectional

Oromia region: Shebe Senbo District, Jimma zone

Children 6–12 years (389)

Total goiter rate, Urinary iodine excretion content of iodine in salt

• 59.1 % total goiter rate

• 56 4 g/L median urinary iodine level

• 71.2 % non-iodinated salt users

• 26.2 % used iodinated salt

Gebreegziabher et al. 2013 [24]

Cross sectional

SNNPR region: rural communities of Sidama Zone, southern

Non-pregnant women (202)

Urinary iodine concentration, goiter and dietary intake of the society

• 37.2 μg/L Median UIC

• 15.9 % total goiter rate

• Consumed E. ventricosum, corn and kale frequently

Ersino et al. 2013 [25]

Cross sectional

SNNPR region: rural Sidama Zone, southern

Pregnant women (172)

urinary iodine concentration, percentage of population with UIC < 20 μg/L, percentage of households using iodized salt, iodine content of salt and total goiter rate

• 15 μg/L Median UIC

• 60 % of the women with < 20 μg/L UIC

• More than 90 % of households not using iodized salt

• Median salt iodine content was almost zero

• 49 % total goiter rate

Duressa et al. 2014 [20]

Comparative analysis

Oromia region: Horaboka, Mio and Besaso Kebeles, Sinana Werada, Bale Zone

-

Iodine content of water, soil, salt and cereals in the area

• Iodine concentration level in water below 15 μg/l, the world’s average drinking

• High in non-farm lands soil and low farm lands soils

• Low in wheat and barley crops

ENMS 2014 [17]

Cross sectional

Nation wide

Rural (150) and Urban (250) households

iodated salt coverage by semi qualitative method using rapid test kit (RTK) and gold standard Iodometric titration

• Iodated salt coverage reaches up to 88.8 % and 94.4 % by RTK and iodometric titration respectively

• Only 23.2 % of adequacy (20–40 ppm)

Kebede et al. 2014 [30]

Cross sectional

Amhara region: Burie and Womberma districts

Children and their biological mothers (403)

Thyroid size, urinary iodine level determination, household level interview and Focus Group Discussion (FGD)

• 54.5 % total goiter rate in school age children

• 30.1 % total goiter rate in biological mothers

• 0.5 μg /dl median urinary iodine

• 1.1 % iodized salt in of the households

Kedir et al. 2014 [21]

Cross sectional

Eastern Ethiopia: Haramaya district

Pregnant women (435)

target groups background, dietary habits, gynecological/obstetric questionnaire and UIC

• 58.1 μg/L median urinary iodine

• 82.8 % subclinical iodine deficiency in women

Kibatu et al. 2014 [32]

Cross sectional

Benshangul-Gumuz region: Metekel Zone Northwest

Children aged 6–18 years (200)

Total goiter rate, urinary iodine excretion and TSH level

• 39.5 % total goiter prevalence

• 39.9 μg/L median urinary iodine

• 18.92 % elevated thyroid hormones

• 27.03 % suppressed TSH

Mesele et al. 2014 [31]

Cross sectional

Amhara region: Lay Armachiho district, Northwest

Children 6–12 years (698)

the presence/absence of goiter, the level of iodine in salt

• 37.6 % prevalence of goiter

• Salt iodine level (AOR = 0.44)

Negeri et al. 2014 [18]

Cross sectional

Oromia region: Jimma University Specialized Hospital

Pregnant women (423)

UIC

• 88.9 % prevalence of iodine deficiency

• 48 μg/L median urinary iodine

Wolka et al. 2014 [27]

Cross sectional

SNNPR region: Sodo town, Southern Ethiopia

Children (534)

Association of goiter with academic achievement

Goiter linked with low academic achievement (adjusted OR51.8; 95 % CI 1.2, 2.5).

Wolka et al. 2014 [28]

Cross sectional

SNNPR: Sodo Town, Southern Ethiopia

children aged 6 to 12 years (270 with goiter and 264 without goiter)

Presence of goiter Association between goiter and goitrogenic food items

• Drinking river water positively associated with goiter presence

• Cabbage and cassava consumption increased the chance of goiter.