Requirements for Goiter Surveys and the Determination of Thyroid Size

Abstract

Goiter prevalence is investigated to decide whether and which intervention is necessary to eliminate its cause, mainly iodine deficiency. Secondly, monitoring the efficiency of iodine supplementation includes the documentation of changes of thyroid size. Four major questions have to be answered before a survey is started:

• 1 at how many sites has to be investigated

• 2 how are the places selected

• 3 how many persons have to be investigated?

• 4 which persons have to be investigated

The number of places at which investigation have to be performed depends primarily on nutritional differences (ethical, racial and geographic conditions) and the expected goiter prevalence, but not on the (total) population size. The more regional differences the more sites have to be examined. For example, the typical common regions valley, mountain, north, east, west etc. are chosen. Then two sites from each region should be randomly selected. If the figures gained vary relevantly, further surveys close to the sites/regions which differ mostly have to be performed (1, 2).