Factors affecting thyroid volume in adolescent students attending a rural middle school in East Hangzhou, China

Qiaoyong Liu; Yiqian Jiang; Lijun Shen; Jiming Zhu

doi:10.1515/jpem-2020-0422

Article

Factors affecting thyroid volume in adolescent students attending a rural middle school in East Hangzhou, China

Qiaoyong Liu , Yiqian Jiang , Lijun Shen and Jiming Zhu

Published/Copyright: December 14, 2020

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From the journal Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism Volume 34 Issue 2

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the thyroid volume (Tvol) and to explore factors that affects it among 12 to 15-year-olds attending a rural middle school in east Hangzhou, China.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey of middle school students attending a rural middle school in east Hangzhou, China was conducted. Height, weight and other physical development related indicators in middle school students were measured. The thyroid size was measured using ultrasound, and the thyroid volume calculated.

Results

The median (P₂₅, P₇₅) of the thyroid volume in 596 middle school students from a rural middle school in east Hangzhou, China was 6.69 (5.66, 7.98) mL. Our study enrolled 305 male students (51.2%) and 291 female students (48.8%). The height, weight and thyroid volume of middle school students increased with age. Univariate analysis revealed that height, weight, body mass index (BMI) and body surface area (BSA) were positive correlated with thyroid volume (p<0.01).The correlation between BSA and thyroid volume was significant (Spearman’s rho=0.473, p<0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that BSA was positive and significantly correlated with the thyroid volume (p<0.05). Regression equation was Y=−2.532 + 6.186×BSA.

Conclusion

The thyroid volume is not only affected by age, but it is also affected by growth and development. Goiter cannot only be assessed based on age, gender and thyroid volume. However, this study established that BSA not only presented the strongest correlation with thyroid volume (Spearman’s rho=0.473), but also had a strong correlation with physical development, taking into account the growth and development of middle school students, and showed greater stability. Therefore, we recommend inclusion of BSA as a reference standard in the measurement of the thyroid volume.

Keywords: body surface area; middle school students; thyroid volume

Corresponding author: Jiming Zhu, Department of Ultrasonic, The First People’s Hospital of Xiaoshan, Hangzhou, China, E-mail: xiaoyi0831boy@sina.com

Funding source: Health Science and Technology Plan of Hangzhou

Award Identifier / Grant number: 2018B015

Acknowledgment

This study was supported by the Hangzhou Health Science and Technology Program of Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province (2018B015). We thank Zhejiang Xiaoshan District Center for Disease Control and Prevention for the assistance and support during field investigation. We thank the teachers, students and their caregivers for their cooperation and participation.

Research funding: Supported by the Health Science and Technology Plan of Hangzhou (2018B015).
Author contributions: Qiaoyong Liu and Jiming Zhu were responsible for the research design and statistical analysis; Lijun Shen and Yiqian Jiang were responsible for data collection and analysis. Qiaoyong Liu analyzed the data, wrote and revised the manuscript. All the authors contributed to the writing and editing of the final manuscript.
Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.

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Received: 2020-07-14

Accepted: 2020-11-06

Published Online: 2020-12-14

Published in Print: 2021-02-23

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https://doi.org/10.1515/jpem-2020-0422

Keywords for this article

body surface area; middle school students; thyroid volume