The Impact of Double-Fortified Salt Delivered Through the Public Distribution System on Iodine Status in Women of Reproductive Age in Rural India

ABSTRACT

Background

Double-fortified salt (DFS) with iron and iodine has been demonstrated to be efficacious but questions of unintended effects on the gains in salt iodization remain. The main cross-sectional study based on the use of DFS over 1 y showed a reduction in iron deficiency risk. Whether the programs and the levels of added iron can adversely affect iodine status is yet to be established.

Objectives

We hypothesized that the addition of iron to iodized salt can adversely affect iodine status in women of reproductive age (WRA).

Methods

A cross-sectional substudy was conducted in 4 matched-pair adjacent districts of rural Uttar Pradesh, India, in 2019. Under the public distribution system (PDS), DFS was available for 1 y through Fair Price Shops, in the 2 DFS supply districts (DFS-SDs). In these districts, iodized salt was also available in the market. In the 2 compared DFS nonsupply districts (DFS-NSDs), only iodized salt was available. In the substudy, participants included WRA ( n = 1624) residing in rural areas of the selected districts. Iodine content in urine and salt samples was measured in each of the groups.

Results

Significantly fewer women from the DFS-SDs had median urinary iodine concentration values indicative of moderate to mild iodine deficiency compared with the women from the DFS-NSDs. The salt purchase pattern and iodine content revealed that significantly fewer (21.99%) households in the DFS-SDs were purchasing inadequately iodized crystal salt, compared with 36.04% households in the DFS-NSDs.

Conclusions

The data reject the working hypothesis and suggest a beneficial effect of the DFS program on the iodine status in WRA, thereby supporting a recommendation of DFS supply through the PDS.