Determination of Household Use of Iodated Salt in The Hohoe District in the Volta Region, Ghana
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Date
2000-09
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Publisher
University of Ghana
Abstract
In recent years, iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) have emerged as an important public
health problem in Ghana. In the Hohoe district the prevalence o f goitre was 26% (Asibey-
Berko, et al 1994). Ghana has adopted the continuous use o f iodated salt as a solution to
1DD. This was supported by Act 523, which requires that, any salt meant for human and
animal consumption in Ghana should be iodized.
After the launching o f a national campaign against IDD at Hohoe in 1997, awareness on
the importance o f the use o f iodated salt was created in the district. However, the results
o f the 1998 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS, 1998) showed that the Volta
region had the lowest percentage o f households using iodated salt (10%). The DHMT o f
the Hohoe district health administration is worried over the low utilization o f iodated salt
in the Volta region and more so because Hohoe is an endemic goitre area in the region.
The study therefore was a cross-sectional survey that aimed at establishing the proportion
o f people using iodated salt, and factors affecting the use o f iodated salt in the district. It
took place in thirty communities. Three hundred women in charge o f household cooking
and 50 salt sellers were interviewed using structured questionnaire. The study examined
their awareness o f the importance o f iodated salt, its availability, affordability, and
utilization in the district. The salt used for household cooking was tested for iodine.
T he study rev e a le d th a t the level o f aw a re n e s s o f the im p o rta n c e o f io d a ted sa lt
w a s very low in sa lt se lle rs, as 7 0% o f th em h ad low level o f aw a re n e s s . T h o u g h 243 (8 1% ) w om en in ch a rg e o f h o u s e h o ld c o o k in g sa id th e y h a d h e a rd o f io d a ted
salt, o n ly 2 0 1 (6 7% ) sa id th e y k n ow the b e n e fits a s so c ia te d w ith th e use o f io d a te d
salt. H ow ev er, it is re a lly su rp ris in g to n o te that, o u t o f th e 201 w h o c la im ed th ey
k n ow its b en e fit, 8, 66. an d 127 o f the w om en had h igh, m o d e ra te an d low lev e l o f
aw a re n e s s a b o u t io d a ted salt, re sp e c tiv e ly .
With rega rd to a v a ila b ility o f io d a ted sa lt o n ly 8% o f s a lt se lle rs w e re s e llin g
io d a ted salt. A b o u t 5 7% o f w om e n in ch a rg e o f h o u s e h o ld co o k in g sa id io d a te d
sa lt w a s a lw a y s av a ilab le w h en th ey w a n te d to b u y it.
W ith the q u e s tio n o f a ffo rd a b ility , it w a s fo u n d th a t 3 6 .8% o f th e w om e n in ch a rg e
o f h o u se h o ld co o k in g sa id it w a s n o t a ffo rd a b le . T h e io d in e te s t on the salt
co n sum ed in the h o u s e h o ld s in d ic a ted h ow e v e r th a t o n ly 16% o f h o u s e h o ld s u se d
io d a te d salt. Availability, cost and awareness were the main factors determining the
usage o f iodated salt in the district.
Description
Thesis(MPH)-University of Ghana, 2000
Keywords
Iodated Salt, Household Use, Volta Region, Hohoe District