PREVALENCE OF GOITERS IN CHILDREN RESIDING IN TUNG-LO TOWNSHIP, TAIWAN

This study investigated school children in the Tung-Lo Township in cen tral Taiwan to determine the prevalence of goiters compared to other a reas of Taiwan and to elucidate the possible etiology. All children at tending elementary schools in Tung-Lo were examined for thyroid enlarg ement by neck palpation, as recommended by the World Health Organizati on. Thyroid antibodies and thyroid hormones were determined in childre n with goiters, and in normal age- and sex-matched controls. Additiona lly, analysis of drinking water for humic substances was done by preva lence fluorospectrophotometry. In total, 1,823 school children were ex amined (965 boys and 858 girls). Of these, 174 (9.5%) were found to ha ve a goiter of grade I or above. The prevalence was higher than our re cent surveys in other areas of Taiwan (2.6%-8.8%). Goiter prevalence i n school children residing in hill regions (12.9%), mainly dependent o n underground water for drinking, was higher than that of school child ren residing in plain regions (8.2%), who depend on tap water for drin king. The duality of drinking water bore a close relationship to the p revalence of goiter. From the ratio of T-3/T-4 in this study, and a st udy of urinary iodine excretion done by others, it is concluded that g oiters in Tung-Lo are not related to iodine deficiency. There was no s tatistically significant correlation between the relative fluorescence intensity of humic substances and the prevalence of goiter. The resul ts of this study suggest that the higher prevalence of goiter in child ren living in Tung-Lo, an oil-bearing area, may be related to the qual ity of drinking water.