EUthyroid2 study

[lbrabon]

Dear All,

We are conducting a new study to improve awareness about the importance of iodine and the risks of iodine deficiency in young women.
Who we are: We are a team of researchers from the Centre for Public Health at Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Surrey interested in iodine intake among young women. We are part of a wider EUthyroid2 study which is funded by the European Union and the UK Research and Innovation as part of the Horizon Europe Framework Programme to reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases in young people.

What we aim to do: This study aims to improve low awareness of iodine deficiency and iodine-deficiency disorders (IDD) and highlight the importance of iodine nutrition among young adults. This is important because the human body needs constant small amounts of iodine for metabolism and brain development, but normal diets in most countries do not contain enough iodine, resulting in iodine deficiency, the world's largest cause of preventable mental impairment.

Who are aiming to recruit:
University students who are:
• Female
• Aged 18-24 years
• Not currently pregnant or lactating
• Not currently experiencing a thyroid disease

What the study involves:
• Students who are interested in the study will be asked to contact the EUthyroid2 study team to complete a screening process. If eligible, students will then complete a consent process.
• Students from your school will be randomised into either the intervention group (they will be given information on iodine nutrition) or the control group (will be given general healthy eating advice but will receive all iodine nutrition information at the end of the study).
• Students will be asked to provide a urine sample at 3 timepoints (baseline, 2-4 weeks later and 6-8 months after joining the study). They can take the sample at home and we’ll arrange a drop off location.
• The EUthyroid2 study team will then arrange 3 online study appointments (baseline, 2-4 weeks later and 6-8 months after joining the study). The first appointment will involve completion of an iodine awareness questionnaire and members of the intervention group will receive an education session on iodine. The next two study appointments will involve completion of an iodine awareness questionnaire and completing an evaluation questionnaire.
• A small number of these students will also be asked to take part in a voluntary online evaluation interview with one of the EUthyroid2 researchers.
• As a thank you for taking part, students who complete the study will receive a £20 gift voucher.

What’s next?
If you think this is something that students who are part of your School would be interested in, we would like to ask you to respond to us at EUthyroid2@qub.ac.uk and we can advise on next steps, which will involve allocation of the School to intervention or control group and then sharing of information with students in the School.

Regards,

Jayne


Professor Jayne Woodside
Professor of Human Nutrition
Director

Centre for Public Health | School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences| Queen’s University Belfast | Institute of Clinical Science, Block A, RVH, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BJ | +44 (0)28 9097 8942 | j.woodside@qub.ac.uk