Trends in Iodine Status Among U.S. Children and Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data from 2001–2004 to 2017–2020

Background: Iodine nutrition is an important public health issue. Trends in iodine status over time among U.S. schoolchildren and adults and factors mediating changes of iodine status were examined. Methods: In this cross-sectional study of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, we estimated trends in the U.S. population using linear regression analyses. Representative samples of U.S. children and adults were enrolled in NHANES 2001–2020. The NHANES cycles were categorized into 5 four-year periods: 2001–2004, 2005–2008, 2009–2012, 2013–2016, and 2017–2020. The final sample sizes of children and adults for analysis were 4288 and 19,661, respectively. The estimated average requirement (EAR) (based on guidelines from the Institute of Medicine), was used to estimate the prevalence rate of inadequate iodine intake. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association between iodine status and contributing factors. Results: From 2001–2004 to 2017–2020, among children, urinary iodine concentration (UIC) decreased from 243 to 166 μg/L ( p trend = 0.0057) and prevalence of iodine intake below the EAR rose from 15.4% to 27.6%. In adults, the UIC decreased from 153 to 116 μg/L ( p trend < 0.001) and prevalence of iodine intake below the EAR rose from 15.0% to 17.9%. A higher prevalence rate of iodine intake below the EAR was observed in females compared with males (children, 24.0% vs. 16.5%, p < 0.001; adults, 20.0% vs. 11.1%, p < 0.001). Inadequate iodine intake was less frequent among non-Hispanic White and Hispanic compared with non-Hispanic Black in children and adults. Adults without thyroid problems had a higher prevalence of inadequate iodine intake than those with thyroid problems (16.0% vs. 13.0%, p = 0.001). Inadequate iodine intake was less likely in the children who “sometimes” and “often” consumed milk products compared with children who “never or rarely” consumed milk products (OR = 0.60 [CI 0.30–1.21] and OR = 0.24 [CI 0.13–0.43], respectively). The prevalence of inadequate iodine intake among adults reporting “sometimes” (OR = 0.70 [CI 0.58–0.83]) and “often” consuming milk products was lower than those who “never or rarely” consumed them (OR = 0.36 [CI 0.30–0.44]). Conclusions: In this weighted survey, the prevalence of inadequate iodine intake increased from 2001–2004 to 2017–2020 among U.S. school-age children and adults. Sex, race, thyroid problems, and a decreased intake of milk products were significantly associated with iodine intake below the EAR.