LAUSR

OBJECTIVE This study assessed the iodine knowledge of pregnant and lactating women, and the relationship to dietary iodine intake and iodine status. The factors influencing iodine intake were analyzed. DESIGN Basic information and iodine knowledge were collected via a questionnaire. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) assessed dietary iodine intake. The urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was measured using the Arsenic-Cerium Catalytic Spectrophotometric Determination of Iodine in Urine (WS/T 107 -2016). SETTING A cross-sectional study involving pregnant and lactating women in Xinjiang, China was conducted. PARTICIPANTS A total of 1181 pregnant women and 504 lactating women were enrolled in the study. RESULTS The median UIC for pregnant and lactating women was 179.27 and 191.40 µg/L, respectively, and the dietary iodine intake was 407.16 and 356.89 µg/day, respectively. Of the pregnant and lactating women, 83.9% and 86.5% had medium iodine knowledge, respectively. In pregnant women, iodine knowledge and dietary iodine intake were positively correlated. High iodine knowledge and iodine education were shown to be protective factors for excessive iodine intake in pregnant women. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that the iodine nutritional status of women in Xinjiang was appropriate, and iodine knowledge was at a medium level, but there was confusion about iodine nutrition. Public education is needed to improve iodine knowledge and active iodine supplementation awareness among these populations of women.