Causes of Thyroid Disease and Its Relationship to Dietary Habits and Its Prevalence in Al-Baha Region, KSA

The goal of this research is to examine the factors that contribute to the proliferation of thyroid disorders in the Al-Baha region and how these factors relate to age groups, sexes, food preferences, and behavioral patterns among individuals who have thyroid glands. This study included a total number of 200 cases of patients from King Fahd Hospital and (Prince Mashari Hospital in Baljurashi) from-02 January 2022 to 2023, Cases were classified into 70 hyperthyroidism (40 females and 30 males), 60 cases of hypothyroidism (40 females and 20 males) and 70 euthyroidism (50 females and 20 males. For data collection, a questionnaire schedule was given to cases to determine the causes of the disease and food habits. Results of this study showed that the prevalence of thyroid disease among people with hypothyroidism reached about 20% in females and 10% in males. While 35% of cases with hyperthyroidism were 20% females and 15% males. The disease was more prevalent among females by 65% and was highest prevalent in the age group from 30 to 50 years (increased by 32.1%). The study showed that iodine deficiency is common in mountainous areas as deficiency of iodine in food and water can lead to thyroid diseases. Low intake of fruits and vegetables, low eating of fish, use of birth control tablets, (75%) eating of chicken (containing hormones), drinking much canned juices (100)% and Lack of exposure to the sun may be causes of the disease. The study recommends increasing the dietary intake of fresh vegetables and fruits, eating marine fish and iodized salt and reducing the use of plastic bags.