Abstract:
Background: Goiter, primarily caused by iodine deficiency, remains a significant public health
issue in Ethiopia, affecting 35.8% of women of reproductive age. Despite WHO’s
recommendation that over 90% of households should use adequately iodized salt to eliminate
iodine deficiency, a 2014 national survey by the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) found
that only 53.9% of household salt met this standard.
Objective: To assess the prevalence of goiter and associated factors among pregnant women
attending antenatal care at public health centers in Maanna distinct, Jimma zone, southwest of
Ethiopia.
Method: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women who
were following ANC in the Manna district. A study was conducted on 388 randomly selected
pregnant women from March – June, 2024. All 7 health center in the district was included in the
study. After proportional allocation was made for specific health center, study participants was
selected by using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected by kooboo toolbox
and then exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Candidate variables were identified using
bivariate logistic regression, followed by multivariate logistic regression to determine significant
associations. Results are presented as adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence
intervals, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.
Results: The total prevalence of goiter in this study area was 29.9% in which 67.3% of them
were grade 2 goiters. Having family history of goiter (AOR: 2.13, 95%CI: 1.25 – 4.06), cabbage
consumption (AOR: 3.64, 95%CI: 1.43 – 4.61) and having poor knowledge towards iodized salts
and goiter (AOR: 2.63, 95%CI: 1.06 – 6.14) were significantly associated with having goiter.
Conclusion: The high prevalence of goiter among pregnant women in this study highlights a
significant public health concern. Strengthening awareness and knowledge about iodized salt and
goiter among both healthcare providers and women is essential to improve prevention and
promote better maternal health outcomes.
