Publication: Analysis of Factors Associated with Thyroid Dysfunction: A Hospital Based Study
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Date
2019
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kathmandu University
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background
Thyroid dysfunction (TD) is one of the major public health concerns in Nepal. This
study intends to identify factors in association with thyroid dysfunction and its
hospital based prevalence.
Objective
To determine hospital-based prevalence of thyroid dysfunction and to identify and
analyze factors in association with thyroid dysfunction.
Method
A retroprospective cross-sectional study was conducted among patients attending
Dhulikhel Hospital-Kathmandu University Hospital (DH,KUH) from January to
December, 2015 with prospective part carried out from July to December 2015 in
the patients visiting Dhulikhel hospital for health check-up and requested for Thyroid
Function Tests (TFTs). Thyroid Function Tests of 1530 subjects were performed in
the biochemistry laboratory and semi-structured questionnaire were introduced
to 312 participants with convenient sampling method and their anthropometric
measurements were taken. Chi-square test, Pearson’s correlation and student-t test
were used as a measure to analyze factors.
Result
Out of total 1530 subjects, 35.3% were having thyroid dysfunction with the prevalence
of overt hyperthyroidism, subclinical hyperthyroidism, overt hypothyroidism and
subclinical hypothyroidism to be 2.5%, 2.4%, 5.6% and 24.8% respectively. The
distribution of thyroid dysfunction was preponderant among females and among
older age. The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction was highest among Terai/Madhesi
(40.0%) and lowest among Newars (28.5%) with higher fraction of hypothyroidism in
each ethnic group. There were significant correlation between Thyroid Stimulating
Hormone (TSH) with waist-hip ratio (p<0.05) and weight (kg) with free thyroxine
(fT4) (p<0.05). Direct pesticide exposure (p<0.05) was significantly associated
with hypothyroidism. The serum fT4 was significantly different (p<0.05) among
vegetarian and non-vegetarian whereas TSH and free triiodothyronine (fT3) were
not significantly different. Smoking, alcoholism, dietary food habits, diabetes and
hypertension were not significantly associated with thyroid dysfunction.
Conclusion
Thyroid dysfunction was highly prevalent among participants with higher proportion
of subclinical hypothyroidism. Besides, direct pesticide exposure found to be factor
in association with hypothyroidism, this study could not find significance relation
with other established risk factors.
KEY WORDS
Hyperthyroidism, Hypothyroidism, Thyroid dysfunction, Thyroid function test
Description
Risal P,1 Adhikari B,2 Shrestha R,2 Manandhar S,2 Bhatt RD,1 Hada M1
1Department of Clinical Biochemistry,
2Department of Natural Science-Human Biology,
Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences
Dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal
Keywords
Hyperthyroidism, Hypothyroidism, Thyroid dysfunction, Thyroid function test