A cross-sectional survey on drinking brick-tea type fluorosis in China

Abstract

Objectives To clarify the basic data such as prevalent range,regiohal characteristics and the population at risk of drinking brick-tea type fluorosis in China.Methods Comprehensive survey for basic information was conducted in the provinces and autonomous regions where drinking brick-tea type fluorosis Wag prevalent,ineluding Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,Tibet Autonomous Region, Sichuan Province,Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province,Gansu Province,Ningxia Autonomous Region and Yunan Province.The survey included the number ot counties(cifies)and townships(towns)where the people were accustomed to drinking brick-tea,pepulation,ethnic minority composition,the production and living style,sales and the kinds of brick-tea aIn so on.Results Two hundred and forty-one counties and 3246 townships were found to haye the habit 0f drinking brick-tea,among which 87.46%(2839/3246)had the habit for more than 30 years.There were 31 684 administrative vilages(residents' committees),15 047 elementary schools and 2873 temples surveyed,coveting a total population of 31 052 398 and 122 739 monks.Fifty-three ethnic minorities were involved.Han accounted for 44.86%(12 902 710/31 052 398), Uighur ethnic for 20.98%(7 416 474/31 052 398),Tibetan ethnic for 13.34%(4 323 272/31 052 398),Muslim ethnicfor 8.15%(2 767 603/31 052 398),Mongolian ethnic for 4.61%(1 400 206/31 052 398),Kazak ethnicfor 3.45% (1 218 272/31 052 398),of the population of drinking brick-tea,farmer population accounted for 64.13%(19 912 833/ 31 052 398),herdsman population for 8.79%(2 728 418/31 052 398),farmer-herdsman population for 12.53%(3 889 678/ 31 052 398)and town population for 14.56%(4 521 169/31 052 398).There Was 3926.74 tons of brick-tea sold per year in the investigated regions,mainly of Fu brick-tea,Green brick-tea and Black brick-tea.Areas with high brick- tea consumption distributed mainly in farmer region and farmer-herdsman region.Annual per capita consumption of brick-tea for farmers was 3.77 kg,and for farmer-herdsman population was 2.05 kg.Conclusions Begions with the habit of drinking brick-tea distributes extensively in western China and cover a huge population,and the herdsmen and farmer-herdsman are the main risk population.Drinking brick-tea type fluorosis is a seriolls public health issue in western China. Key words: Fluoride poisoning; Tea; Cross一8ecfionM studies; China