Iodine deficiency and modern possibilities of its prevention in adolescents

Iodine deficiency is one of the most pressing problems of modern healthcare. Currently, there are 21 countries in the world where iodine deficiency in the diet of the population has been proven, but has not yet been eliminated. Russia is one of them due to the lack of a legislative framework for mass iodine prophylaxis in our country. The strategy for the elimination of iodine deficiency diseases on the scale of the Russian Federation is based on the adoption of a federal law providing for the use of iodized salt as a medium.

The strategy for the elimination of iodine deficiency diseases on the scale of the Russian Federation is based on the adoption of a federal law providing for the use of iodized salt as a means of population iodine prophylaxis. Currently, less than 30% of the population in Russia consumes iodized salt in their diet, while the target coverage in iodine-rich regions > 90% of households. In 2022, we conducted a survey of 269 adolescents aged 15–17 living in the Saratov Region and found that the share of families who regularly use YS for food was only 24,2%.

Most adolescents rarely eat seafood and do not take iodine-containing drugs, which indicates the ineffectiveness of the «voluntary» model of iodine prevention. In the absence of a federal law, the most important step towards solving the problem of combating iodine deficiency diseases should be the formation of a unified nationwide preventive process based on the appropriate regulatory framework in each constituent entity of Russia – the development and implementation of targeted regional programs for the prevention of diseases caused by iodine deficiency.