Dietary Fluoride Intake and Associated Skeletal and Dental Fluorosis in School Age Children in Rural Ethiopian Rift Valley

Aweke Kebede, Negussie Retta, Cherinet Abuye, Susan J. Whiting, Melkitu Kassaw, Tesfaye Zeru, Masresha Tessema and Marian Kjellevold
Additional contact information
Aweke Kebede: Food Science and Nutrition Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, P.O. Box 1242, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Negussie Retta: Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Cherinet Abuye: ENGINE/Save the Children, P.O. Box 387, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Susan J. Whiting: College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 2Z4, Canada
Melkitu Kassaw: Food Science and Nutrition Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, P.O. Box 1242, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tesfaye Zeru: Food Science and Nutrition Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, P.O. Box 1242, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Masresha Tessema: Food Science and Nutrition Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, P.O. Box 1242, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Marian Kjellevold: National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES), P.O. Box 185, Bergen N-5002, Norway

IJERPH, 2016, vol. 13, issue 8, 1-10

Abstract: An observational study was conducted to determine dietary fluoride intake, diet, and prevalence of dental and skeletal fluorosis of school age children in three fluorosis endemic districts of the Ethiopian Rift Valley having similar concentrations of fluoride (F) in drinking water (~5 mg F/L). The duplicate plate method was used to collect foods consumed by children over 24 h from 20 households in each community ( n = 60) and the foods, along with water and beverages, were analyzed for fluoride (F) content. Prevalence of dental and skeletal fluorosis was determined using presence of clinical symptoms in children ( n = 220). Daily dietary fluoride intake was at or above tolerable upper intake level (UL) of 10 mg F/day and the dietary sources (water, prepared food and beverages) all contributed to the daily fluoride burden. Urinary fluoride in children from Fentale and Adamitulu was almost twice (>5 mg/L) the concentration found in urine from children from Alaba, where rain water harvesting was most common. Severe and moderate dental fluorosis was found in Alaba and Adamitulu, the highest severity and prevalence being in the latter district where staple foods were lowest in calcium. Children in all three areas showed evidence of both skeletal and non-skeletal fluorosis. Our data support the hypothesis that intake of calcium rich foods in addition to using rain water for household consumption and preparation of food, may help in reducing risk of fluorosis in Ethiopia, but prospective studies are needed.

Keywords: dietary fluoride; dental fluorosis; skeletal fluorosis; Ethiopian Rift Valley; calcium (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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