[Health and socio-economic condition of certified Minamata disease patients, 1999].

Objectives: To clarify the needs and to consider establishing a social support system for patients with Minamata disease (MD), or methylmercury poisoning, by investigating their health and socioeconomic conditions.

Methods: The total number of people certified as having MD in May 1999 by the Kumamoto and Kagoshima Prefecture Government Committees on MD was 2265. We sent two questionnaires to 917 individuals who were surviving at that time, which corresponded to 40.5% of the total number of MD patients. The first survey sought information on the individual's health-seeking behavior, and the second survey was about their socio-economic conditions and requirements for welfare and medical care in the future.

Results: The average age among male patients was 68.0 +/- 13.2 yrs (n = 477) and that among female patients was 71.2 +/- 13.0 yrs (n = 440). The response rates were 45.7% (n = 416) for the first questionnaire and 38.6% (n = 354) for the second questionnaire. Among the MD patients, 71.7% judged their health condition to be 'bad' or 'very bad', and 97.4% received medical treatments that included acupuncture or moxacautery and massage. Regarding the activity of daily living (ADL), which includes 'communicating', 'walking', 'eating', 'use of toilet', 'dressing' and 'taking a bath', the rates of 'independent' were relatively low among those under 49 yrs and those over 75 yrs compared with the other age groups. Many individuals emphasized that they had anxiety about their health and health care in the future.

Conclusion: We concluded that the quality of life (QOL) of MD patients was low. It is important to consider developing a social support system for MD patients.