title: Association between early methylmercury exposure and functional health among residents of the Shiranui Sea communities in Japan.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of estimated historical methylmercury exposure on the functional health of residents living in the Shiranui Sea communities in Japan. Functional health was measured by self-reported activities of daily living (ADL). Study areas were categorized into high, medium and low methylmercury exposure areas according to their location or distance from the Shiranui Sea. We estimated the adjusted prevalence odds ratios of impaired ADL in relation to exposure using a logistic regression model. Compared with residents in the low-exposure area, residents in the high-exposure area were significantly associated with a higher prevalence odds ratio (OR) for impaired ADL after adjustment for confounding factors (adjusted ORs = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.3-6.2). These results showed strong dose-response relationships (p for trend = 0.0050). Our findings suggest that historical methylmercury exposure might cause functional impairment in later in life depending on the exposure level.
authors: Department of Public Health, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan. meshima@fukuoka-u.ac.jp
authors: Kayo
authors: K
authors: Ushijima
authors: Woncheol
authors: W
authors: Sung
authors: Shiro
authors: S
authors: Tanaka
authors: Minoru
authors: M
authors: Kawakita
authors: Yoshito
authors: Y
authors: Mukai
authors: Kenji
authors: K
authors: Tamura
authors: Mika
authors: M
authors: Tanaka
authors: Sadami
authors: S
authors: Maruyama
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D020262:Mercury Poisoning, Nervous System / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D017747:Seafood / Q000009:adverse effects; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical