An analysis of subjective complaints in a population living in a methylmercury-polluted area

The aim of this study is to document subjective complaints, to analyze the structure of a population living in a methylmercury-polluted area, and to i nvestigate the relationship between the subjective complaints and methylmer cury pollution. A total of 1304 adults in the polluted area, who were livin g in the methylmercury-polluted area near Minamata City in Kumamoto Prefect ure, Japan, and 446 age-matched adults in a nonpolluted area were interview ed. Comparison of prevalence, factor analysis, and cluster analysis were co nducted using data drawn from a questionnaire survey about 64 subjective co mplaints. The population in the polluted area had more various complaints t han that living in the nonpolluted area. The factor analysis proposed four factors: nonspecific, sensory, arthritic, and muscular, Each of the four fa ctor scores was significantly higher in the population in the polluted area , Subjects who had more complaints were classified into three clusters usin g cluster analysis. It is possible that not only neurological subjective co mplaints but also nonspecific complaints of the population in the polluted area might be influenced by past methylmercury exposure, (C) 1999 Academic Press.