Salt Used for the National School Nutrition Program (NSNP) in Rural Schools of Limpopo Province, South Africa, has Adequate Levels of Iodine

Table 5

Iodine nutrition knowledge test.

Description of questions	Mopani District		Vhembe District
	N	%	N	%
What is iodine?
Vitamin	65	32.5	19	11.9
Micronutrient/mineral	58	29	50	31.5
Something in the food that we eat	4	2	13	8.2
Other (medicine, potion, etc.)	2	1	0	0
Do not know	71	35.5	77	48.4
Main source of iodine
Iodised salt/iodated salt	12	6	73	45.9
Fish/sea food/marine food products	60	30	29	18.2
Vegetables	25	12.5	12	7.5
Meat or meat products	25	12.5	6	3.7
Dairy products	5	2.5	4	2.5
Drinking water	13	6.5	3	1.5
Other	22	11	1	0.6
Do not know	14	7	11	6.9
Do not know what iodine is	24	12	20	12.5
Part of the body that needs iodine
Liver	42	21	47	29.6
Thyroid gland/gland in the front of the neck	40	20	24	15.1
Lungs	24	12	30	18.9
Do not know	94	47	58	36.5
Most harmful effect on health of children if they do not get enough iodine
Slow growth	59	29.5	59	37.1
Goitre/enlarged thyroid gland/swollen neck	22	11	22	13.8
Brain damage or underdevelopment of the brain/low intelligence	7	3.5	17	9.4
Cretinism	2	1	1	0.6
Hypothyroidism	0	0	1	0.6
Death	1	0.5	1	0.6
Diabetes mellitus	7	3.5	4	2.5
Do not know	74	37	29	18.2
Do not know what is iodine	26	13	25	15.7
Hypertension	2	1	2	1.3
Do you read labelling on the food package to check salt content?
Yes	56	28	48	30.2
No	108	54	85	53.5
Cannot read	12	6	2	1.3
Do not know what iodine is	24	12	24	15.1
What is the daily recommendation of iodine for school-attending children?
120 µg/L	101	50.5	75	47.2
150 µg/L	18	9	14	8.8
220 µg/L	2	15	2	1.3
Do not know	79	39.5	68	42.8

Correct response.