The WHO recommends monitoring iodine status in all populations with median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) below 100 μg/l suggesting

Overview

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The WHO recommends monitoring iodine status in all populations with median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) below 100 μg/l suggesting
The median UIC was low within the recommended range 101 μg/l (range 21–1870 μg/l). No samples were in the range suggesting severe iodine
in men (86 v. 115 μg/l; P < 0·001). Intake of fish and whale meals affected the UIC. In conclusion, nearly half of the population had an iodine
Nevertheless, several studies conducted in the Faroe Islands prising 10 % of the total population in each age group). The rea-
90 % of dietary iodine is excreted in the urine and the vast
199 μg/l (n 5) and 200–299 μg/l (n 1) and no participant was
categories from daily intake to never and after that converted The median UIC was 101 μg/l (interquartile range 69–153 μg/l;
to a binary variable: intake daily and more or less frequent than range 21–1870 μg/l). A total of 37 % of urine samples were in the
using the non-parametric Mann–Whitney U test (two groups) deficiency (UIC < 20 μg/l), whereas 10 % were in the range of
or Kruskal–Wallis test (several groups). The χ2 test was applied moderate deficiency (UIC 20–49 μg/l), 39 % mildly deficient
for categorical variables. Univariate binary logistic regression (UIC 50–99 μg/l), 9 % were just above the recommended range
was applied to further explore the link between the median (UIC 200–299 μg/l) and 6 % of the samples had UIC above
iodine status (<101 μg/l v. ≥101 μg/l) and the following predictor 300 μg/l (Fig. 1). Significantly more women than men had below
variables: sex; age; place of living (city/town); BMI groups the median value UIC < 101 μg/l (61·9 % v. 41·5 %, P < 0·001).
(<24·9, 25·0–29·9, ≥30·0); smoking (daily, occasionally, never) Conversely, a total of 8·2 % of the samples from men and
and educational level (up to 7 years, 8–11 years, upper secon- 2·0 % of the samples from women had UIC > 300 μl.
dary). All significant variables from the univariable logistic Tap water iodine was low (<2·0 μg/l) on all locations (Fig. 2).
Mean BMI for the whole group was 29·7 (SD 5·0), and a total logistic regression (OR = 2·30, P < 0·001); overweight
of 86% were classified to be overweight (BMI > 25 kg/m2) or (25·0 ≤ BMI < 30·0) and obese participants (BMI ≥ 30·0) were
obese (BMI > 30 kg/m2) with significantly more men than likely to have above median iodine status, although not signifi-
More women smoked (P < 0·05), and 70 % were non-smokers. pared with normal-weight participants. For educational
and 44 % of the women reported a daily intake of whole grain Regarding dietary intake, fish, whale meat and whale blubber
compared with 35 % of the men (P = 0·04). Fish intake was sim- were positively associated with iodine status (respectively:
reported an increase in median UIC from 61 to 83 μg/l. The
Discussion iodine supplementation(10), and the median UIC in the general
status in the population in the Faroe Islands. Median UIC was median UIC was 101 μg/l for the whole group, but for adults aged
mended range. A total of 37 % of urine samples were in the tions were 96 and 62 μg/l, respectively, suggesting inadequate
iodine replete range of 100–200 μg/l, whereas 39 % were in iodine intake and a need for monitoring of iodine intake. In
the range of mild iodine deficiency (100 > UIC > 50 μg/l) and Sweden at the beginning of the twentieth century, the occur-
10·2 % of samples were in the range of moderate iodine defi- rence of goitre was about 18 %(35); therefore, the Swedish
ciency (50 > UIC > 20 μg/l). This fraction complied with the goal national iodine fortification programme for table salt started in
of no more than 20 % of the population samples lower than 1936. Results from a representative national Swedish sample
(UIC ≥ 200 μg/l), and for susceptible groups, this might pose concern in Europe, especially among adults and pregnant
Island. All samples had values < 2 μg/l. (1) Sørvágur, (2) Skálabotnur, (3) Við (Numbers; median and interquartile range)
UIC of 115 μg/l in males and 86 μg/l in females can partly be
been marine products and the population has been guessed to concentration in Faroese cod is 15 μg/kg compared with
17 μg/kg in Denmark and 20 μg/kg in Iceland(44). The iodine samples was accommodated in accordance with recommenda-
reported the iodine content of whale meat to be 21 μg/kg and tamination, thus not containing iodine-specific questions, but
whale blubber 130 μg/kg(45). The study does not state what type 67 % of the study population reported to eat whole grain daily
stores and used partly in commercial bread production. This to target a median UIC of 150–249 μg/l during pregnancy and
may have compensated some of the reduction of intake of >100 μg/l during lactation(40,49). Our results indicate an increased
fish(46). Additionally, the Faroese health authorities recom- none was severely iodine deficient with UIC below 20 μg/l.

Methods (brief)

nutrition in a representative sample of the general adult population from the Faroe Islands. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional
The median UIC was low within the recommended range 101 μg/l (range 21–1870 μg/l). No samples were in the range suggesting severe iodine
deficiency, but half of the samples were in the range of just adequate or mildly insufficient iodine intake with UIC markedly lower in women than
in spot urine samples to estimate the prevalence of iodine defi- 491 participants answered a questionnaire that pertained to per-
are two dietary recommendations for pilot whale meat and blub- The participants (n 491) donated a morning spot urine sample at
ber intake. One published in 2008 by the Chief Medical Officer study entrance. All samples were stored in iodine-free containers
sumption due to high concentrations of environmental pollu- water samples were collected at twelve locations covering the
to investigate a possible association between environmental University Hospital (Aalborg Denmark)(29). Samples were ana-
Statistical analyses and justification of sample size groups regarding food items: whale meat, whale blubber, fish
QQ-plots and by Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. Four urine samples
significances in the results and all samples were included in
to a binary variable: intake daily and more or less frequent than range 21–1870 μg/l). A total of 37 % of urine samples were in the
iables were normally distributed, and groups were compared samples from participants had UIC in the range of severe iodine
was applied to further explore the link between the median (UIC 200–299 μg/l) and 6 % of the samples had UIC above
(<24·9, 25·0–29·9, ≥30·0); smoking (daily, occasionally, never) Conversely, a total of 8·2 % of the samples from men and
and educational level (up to 7 years, 8–11 years, upper secon- 2·0 % of the samples from women had UIC > 300 μl.
When settling sample size, we aimed for a 5 % precision range
ber of urine samples adds up to a total of 489 in a population(30).

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Update history

The five most recent substantive edits to this page, classified major (evidence or structure moved), correction (a published value or statement was wrong and has been fixed), or minor (narrative rewritten without changing the underlying evidence). Each description is derived from what the edit did to this page; the linked commit is the authoritative record, routine regeneration passes are excluded, and the full version history lives in git. When DOI minting comes online (see schema docs), each entry below will also link to a version-pinned DataCite DOI.

Commit	Date	Change	Description
b01ec52c	2026-08-04	major	2 sections added
d49e450f	2026-08-03	major	5 sections added; narrative text revised