LAUSR

. Low iodine knowledge may be one of the important risk factors for maternal iodine de fi ciency. As a result, women experience dif fi - culties in correctly identifying information about the dietary sources and importance of iodine, leading to suboptimal maternal iodine intake. In China, women are provided with standard nutrition education, without a speci fi c focus on iodine by health professionals. They are also not required to take iodine supplements during pregnancy and lactation. Studies investigating the relationship between iodine knowledge and iodine status during pregnancy and lactation are sparse. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess iodine knowledge and its relationship with iodine status in a group of Chinese breastfeeding women. In this Women and Infant Nutrition cohort study (WIN), pregnant women from the western part of China were recruited and fol-lowed up from their third trimester of pregnancy until fi rst week of lactation. Maternal iodine status was assessed by urinary iodine concentration (UIC). Iodine knowledge was determined using a Chinese iodine knowledge questionnaire. Women were asked to com-plete the same questionnaire twice, during pregnancy and lactation. Iodine knowledge variables were calculated as total iodine knowledge scores for women. Iodine knowledge scores ranged from 0 to 12. The iodine knowledge scores were categorised into fi ve different levels, which are no knowledge (0 point), poor iodine knowledge (1 – 3 points), low iodine knowledge (4 – 6 points), medium iodine knowledge (7 – 9 points), and high iodine knowledge (10 – 12 points).