National League for Nursing (NLN PAX) Practice Exam

Iodized salt is primarily used to prevent goiter, which is an enlargement of the thyroid gland. This condition arises primarily from a deficiency of iodine in the diet. Iodine is an essential component needed for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. When there isn't enough iodine available, the thyroid gland compensates by enlarging in an attempt to capture more iodine from the bloodstream, leading to the formation of a goiter.

The inclusion of iodine in table salt has been a public health measure to ensure that the general population receives sufficient iodine, thereby reducing the incidence of goiter and other iodine deficiency disorders. Other conditions, such as anemia, scurvy, and osteoporosis, are associated with deficiencies in different nutrients—iron, vitamin C, and calcium/vitamin D, respectively—and are not related to iodine. Thus, iodized salt plays a specific and crucial role in preventing goiter specifically.