Betel-nut chewing and submucous fibrosis in Durban.
A stratified random sample among South African Indians living in Durban revealed the occurrence of betel-nut chewing and the resultant submucous fibrosis (SF) to be relatively high. Women chewers predominated in a ratio of 13:1. The habit increased with age and 30.6% of women over 65 years practised the custom. Thirty-eight per cent of chewers revealed signs of impending and established SF; women predominated 70:1, and the majority of sufferers in this instance belonged to the age group 45-54 years (12.9%). Forty-six per cent of those with signs associated with SF had fibrous bands in the mouth and were regarded as having established SF. It was calculated that 5% of the total Indian population in South Africa could be chewers and that 2.3% may develop SF.
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Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, King Edward VIII Hospital, Durban.
van Wyk
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001114:Areca; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009914:Oral Submucous Fibrosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012737:Sex Factors; D013019:South Africa