Iodine nutrition, bamboo shoot consumption, thiocyanate exposure, thyroid function, weight and height, and associations among them in the tribal children of Tripura, North-east India

Abstract BackgroundTripura’s tribal people consume iodized salt and bamboo shoot which contains antithyroid constituents like thiocyanate. But information regarding ‘the status and impacts of iodine nutrition, bamboo shoot consumption (BSC) and thiocyanate exposure on their thyroid function and health’ was found scanty. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed at assessing iodine nutrition, BSC, thiocyanate exposure, thyroid function, weight and height, and associations among them in Tripura’s tribal children.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 127 children aged 6–12 years (boys-59 and girls-68) from Deorachhara, Unakoti and Naithangchhara villages. In this study, thyroid volume (TV), free thyroxine (FT₄), free triiodothyronine (FT₃), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroglobulin antibody (Tg-Ab), thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab), urinary iodine (UI), urinary thiocyanate (USCN), salt iodine (SI), water iodine (WI), weight, height and BSC were assessed.ResultsMedians of BSC (grams/person/day) and UI (µg/L) were 83.3 and 103 in Deorachhara, 119 and 100 in Naithangchhara, and 166.7 and 143 in Unakoti, respectively. Unakoti having higher BSC (p = 0.037) showed higher levels of TSH (p = 0.034) and FT₃ (p = 0.001), and lower levels of FT₄ (p = 0.002), weight (p = 0.000) and height (p = 0.009) compared to Deorachhara. There were positive correlations between TV and height in Unakoti having highest BSC (p < 0.02), between Tg-Ab and TPO-Ab proportionate BSC in Unakoti (p < 0.001) and Naithangchhara (p < 0.05), and between USCN and TPO-Ab in boys (p < 0.05). Deorachhara having lowest BSC showed a negative correlation between TV and Tg-Ab (p < 0.05) and a positive correlation between TV and weight (p < 0.001). Besides, Naithangchhara having lower UI (p = 0.014) showed lower levels of FT₄ (p = 0.001), FT₃ (p = 0.000) and TSH (p = 0.000), and higher Tg-Ab level (p = 0.003) compared to Unakoti.ConclusionTripura’s studied tribal children had lower normal free thyroid hormone levels and poor health, and were at risk of developing autoimmune thyroid diseases, probably because of BSC and lower adequate iodine.