Main causes of death of residents in arsenic poisoning areas in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2016 to 2021 / 中华地方病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To analyze the main causes of death of residents in arsenic poisoning areas of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, providing a scientific basis for preventing and controlling the long-term effects of arsenic poisoning and ensuring the health of residents.Methods:The data on the causes of death among residents in arsenic poisoning areas of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2016 to 2021 were collected from the population death information registration management system and the population information system of various league and city statistical bureaus in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Residents were divided into exposed and non exposed groups based on whether they drank high arsenic water. SPSS 25.0 software was used to statistically analyze the crude mortality rate (CDR), standardized mortality rate (SMR), disease-specific mortality rate, proportion of causes of death, and order of causes of death.Results:Over the past 6 years, there was a total of 9 583 deaths, with an average annual CDR of 633.12/100 000 and an average annual SMR of 446.65/100 000. The CDR of each year showed a decreasing trend over time (χ 2 = 1 058.86, P < 0.001). Male CDR was higher than female CDR (χ 2 = 325.04, P < 0.001). Heart diseases and malignant tumors were the main causes of death for residents in arsenic poisoning areas, with proportions of 25.00% (2 396/9 583) and 18.86% (1 807/9 583), respectively. The top three leading causes of malignant tumor death were lung cancer, liver cancer and gastric cancer. Among residents who died from various diseases and malignant tumors, the SMR of the exposed group was higher than that of the non exposed group (χ 2 = 147.08, 26.26, P < 0.001). Conclusions:The main causes of death of residents in arsenic poisoning areas in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region are heart diseases and malignant tumors, with lung cancer, liver cancer, and gastric cancer being the top three leading causes of death for malignant tumors. Although the arsenic poisoning areas in the entire region have basically achieved water improvement, the long-term effects of chronic arsenic exposure still exist.