Clinical and radiological prevalence of skeletal fluorosis among retired employees of Wonji-Shoa sugar estate in Ethiopia

Abstract

Objective: To study the clinical and radiological prevalence of skeletal fluorosis among the retired employees of Wonji-Shoa sugar estate. Design: Retrospective and cross-sectional study.

Setting: Wonji-Shoa sugar estate, an agro-industrial estate located in the Ethiopian Rift Valley.

Subjects: Two hundred and sixty three employees of the estate who retired between 1995 and 1996.

Main outcome measures: Clinical evidence of impaired squatting, neck and lumbar mobility, kyphosis, and X-ray evidence of fluorosis.

Results: Skeletal fluorosis was more evident among the males (p<0.05), and the prevalence was higher among the factory and the agricultural workers than among the administrative workers (p<0.05). Clinical prevalence was 20% versus the radiological prevalence of 70.3%, indicating that many cases were asymptomatic. Impaired neck and lumbar mobility and impaired squatting significantly agreed with the radiological diagnosis (p<0.05) while kyphosis was not.

Conclusion: Further clinical and epidemiological studies are suggested and strengthening of the existing defluoridation programmes within the area is recommended.

East African Medical Journal Vol.81(12) 2004: 638-640