Ensuring adequate iodine nutrition during pregnancy is crucial for fetal brain development. Thus, the WHO recommend monitoring iodine nutrition in pregnant women. With changing dietary habits and declining iodine intake in coastal populations, iodine nutrition in pregnant Faroese women was a focus in newly established pregnancy cohorts. This study aimed to monitor the iodine status of pregnant women in the Faroe Islands by assessing urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and maternal iodine intake. For 2 years, all pregnant women were invited to participate in a nationwide study. Participants completed questionnaires addressing personal and lifestyle factors, supplement intake and dietary habits, Additionally, they provided spot urine samples for UIC measurements. Iodine was measured spectrophotometrically using the ceri/arsen method after alkaline-ashing. Among the 1030 invited, 654 participated and 647 provided a spot-urine sample. The average age was 30·4 years (18–47 years). The overall median UIC was 110 µg/l, declined from 117 to 101 µg/l over 2 years (P = 0·004). UIC was significantly impacted by diet. Women consuming fish and eggs had a higher median UIC compared with those whose primary iodine source was dairy: fish-dinner, 151 µg/l; dairy products, 112 µg/l (P < 0·001). Furthermore, there was a positive association between maternal age, reported intake of iodine-containing supplements and the UIC. This nationwide study of pregnant Faroese women found UIC below the WHO-recommended cut-off for pregnant women and decreasing with time. This decline highlights the importance of continuous monitoring to prompty identify shifts in iodine status, enabling timely intervention to address emerging deficiencies.

Iodine nutrition is critical for human health. While iodine excretion was low within the recommended range among adult Faroese, younger generations tend to abandon local foods. Such changes raise a concern about iodine intake, which led us to perform this first study of iodine nutrition among teenagers in the North Atlantic islands. We used samples from a nationwide collection of urine samples in 14-year-olds following iodine fortification of salt in 2000. Urine was analysed for iodine and creatinine to adjust for dilution by iodine/creatinine, and a food frequency questionnaire was used to record the intake of iodine-rich foods. The 129 participants yielded a 90 % precision of the estimated iodine nutrition level. The median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was 166 μg/l (bootstrapped 95 % confidence interval 156–184 μg/l). The median creatinine-adjusted UIC was 132 μg/g (bootstrapped 95 % CI 120–138 μg/g). Fish and whale meat dinners were more frequent among residents of villages compared with the capital: median fish dinners, 3 v. 2 per week (P = 0⋅001), and whale meat, 1 v. 0⋅4 per month (P < 0⋅001). UIC decreased with fewer fish dinners (P = 0⋅03). Our study demonstrated that Faroese teenagers were iodine-replete. The changing dietary habits emphasise the need for continuous monitoring of iodine nutrition and surveying iodine deficiency disorders.

The WHO recommends monitoring iodine status in all populations with median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) below 100 µg/l suggesting iodine deficiency. There are no data on the iodine intake among the population of the Faroe Islands. This study aimed to provide data on iodine nutrition in a representative sample of the general adult population from the Faroe Islands. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional survey in 2011–2012 and measured iodine in urine from 491 participants (294/197 men/women) using the ceri/arsen method after alkaline ashing. Participants include about 100 subjects in each of four adult decades and included participants from both the capital city and villages. 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 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 excretion in the range of borderline or mild iodine deficiency. The lowest iodine nutrition level among Faroese women is a concern as it may extend to pregnancy with increased demands on iodine nutrition. In addition, we found that large variations and the intermittently excessive iodine intakes warrant follow-up on thyroid function in the population of the Faroe Islands.

While donor-conceived children have similar mental health outcomes compared to spontaneously conceived children, there is an inconsistency between studies investigating mental health outcomes of donor-conceived people in adulthood. This study is an online health survey that was completed by 272 donor sperm-conceived adults and 877 spontaneously conceived adults from around the world. Donor sperm-conceived adults had increased diagnoses of attention deficit disorder (P = 0.004), and autism (P = 0.044) in comparison to those conceived spontaneously. Donor sperm-conceived adults self-reported increased incidences of seeing a mental health professional (P < 0.001), identity formation problems (P < 0.001), learning difficulties (P < 0.001), panic attacks (P = 0.038), recurrent nightmares (sperm P = 0.038), and alcohol/drug dependency (P = 0.037). DASS-21 analysis revealed that donor sperm-conceived adults were also more stressed than those conceived spontaneously (P = 0.013). Both donor sperm and spontaneously conceived cohorts were matched for sex, age, height, alcohol consumption, smoking, exercise, own fertility, and maternal smoking. The increase in adverse mental health outcomes is consistent with some studies of donor-conceived adult mental health outcomes. These results are also consistent with the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) phenomenon that has linked adverse perinatal outcomes, which have been observed in donor-conceived neonates, to increased risk of chronic disease, including mental health. Further work is required to reconcile our observations in adults to contrary observations reported in donor-conceived children.

Donor-conceived neonates have poorer birth outcomes, including low birth weight and preterm delivery that are associated with poorer long-term health in adulthood through the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) theory. The aim of this study was to conduct the first investigation of the adult health outcomes of donor-conceived people. An online health survey was completed by 272 donor sperm-conceived adults and 877 spontaneously conceived adults from around the world. Donor and spontaneously conceived groups were matched for age, sex, height, smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise, own fertility and maternal smoking. Donor sperm-conceived adults had significantly higher reports of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (P = 0.031), thyroid disease (P = 0.031), acute bronchitis (P = 0.008), environmental allergies (P = 0.046), sleep apnoea (P = 0.037) and having ear tubes/grommets surgically implanted (P = 0.046). This is the first study to investigate the health outcomes of adult donor sperm-conceived people. Donor sperm-conceived adults self-reported elevated frequencies of various health conditions. The outcomes are consistent with birth defect data from donor sperm treatment and are consistent with the DOHaD linking perturbed early growth and chronic disease in adulthood.

Individual food consumption surveys (IFCS) are performed to evaluate compliance with food/nutrient intake requirements or exposure to potential harmful dietary contaminants/components. In this review, we inventoried methods and designs used in national IFCS and discussed the methodologies applied across countries. Literature searches were performed using fixed sets of search terms in different online databases. We identified IFCS in thirty-nine countries from six world continents. National IFCS systems are available in most of the high-income countries, while such surveys are scarce in low- and middle-income countries (e.g. Africa, Eastern Europe and several Asian countries). Few countries (n 9) have their national IFCS incorporated into national health and nutrition surveys, allowing the investigation of dietary-related disease outcomes. Of the integrated surveys, most have the advantage of being continuous/regular, contrary to other IFCS that are mostly erratic. This review serves as the basis to define gaps and needs in IFCS worldwide and assists in defining priorities for resource allocation. In addition, it can serve as a source of inspiration for countries that do not have an IFCS system in place yet and advocate for national IFCS to be incorporated into national health and nutrition surveys in order to create: (1) research opportunities for investigating diet–disease relationships and (2) a frame to plan and evaluate the effect of diet-related policies (e.g. promotion of local nutrient-rich foods) and of nutrition recommendations, such as food-based dietary guidelines. Countries that integrate their IFCS within their national health and nutrition survey can serve as proof-of-principle for other countries.

Stable iodine tablets are effective in reducing internal exposure to radioactive iodine, which poses a risk for thyroid cancer and other conditions. After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident, the Japanese government shifted its policy on stable iodine tablet distribution from “after-the-fact” to “before-the-fact” and instructed local governments to pre-distribute stable iodine tablets to residents living within a 5-km radius of nuclear facilities. The nation’s first pre-distribution of stable iodine tablets was carried out in June and July of 2014 in Kagoshima Prefecture. Health surveys were conducted so that the medication would not be handed out to people with the possibility of side effects. Of the 4715 inhabitants in the area, 132 were found to require a physician’s judgment, mostly to exclude risks of side effects. This was considered important to prevent the misuse of the tablets in the event of a disaster. The importance of collective and individualized risk communication between physicians and inhabitants at the community health level was apparent through this study. Involvement of physicians through the regional Sendai City Medical Association was an important component of the pre-distribution. Physicians of the Sendai City Medical Association were successfully educated by using the Guidebook on Distributing and Administering Stable Iodine Tablets prepared by the Japan Medical Association and Japan Medical Association Research Institute with the collaboration of the National Institute of Radiological Sciences and the Japanese government. Thus, the physicians managed to make decisions on the dispensing of stable iodine tablets according to the health conditions of the inhabitants. All physicians nationwide should be provided continuing medical education on stable iodine tablets. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:365–369)

Patterns of sexual mixing are major determinants of sexually transmitted infection (STI) transmission, in particular the extent to which high-risk populations mix with low-risk populations. However, patterns of mixing in the general population are poorly understood. We analysed data from a national probability sample survey of households, the Health Survey for England 2010. A total of 943 heterosexual couples living together, where at least one partner was aged between 16–44 years, were included. We used correlation coefficients to measure the strength of similarities between partners with respect to demographic characteristics, general health, health behaviours and sexual history. Males were on average 2 years older than their female partners, although this age difference ranged from a median of 0 years in men aged 16–24 years to a median of 2 years in men aged 35–44 years. A positive correlation between partners was found for all demographic characteristics. With respect to general health and health behaviours, a strongly positive correlation was found between men and women in reporting alcohol consumption at ⩾3 days a week and smoking. Men typically reported greater numbers of sexual partners than their female partner, although men and women with more partners were more likely to mix with each other. We have been able to elucidate the patterns of sexual mixing between men and women living together in England. Mixing based on demographic characteristics was more assortative than sexual characteristics. These data can better inform mathematical models of STI transmission.