RESUMO
Objective: To investigate the value of means of surfaces with nonhomogeneity (MSN) in esti-mating the incidence of pneumoconiosis. Methods: Based on the principal component analysis, all counties (districts) of Hebei Province, China, were divided into three categories according to the degree of pneumoconiosis hazards and the MSN model was used to estimate the incidence rate of pneumoconiosis and the number of pneu-moconiosis cases using the data of the incidence of pneumoconiosis in 2010. Results: With reference to the appli-cation requirements of the MSN model, results of the principal component analysis, and expert experience, the 172 counties (districts) in Hebei Province were divided into three categories with mild, moderate, and severe pneumoconiosis hazards. There were 74, 61, and 49 counties in the above categories, respectively, and 12, 12, and 25 counties were selected from them, respectively. The estimated number of pneumoconiosis cases in Hebei Province was 2105, and the incidence rate was 261.5 per hundred thousand, with a standard error of esti-mation of 389.9 per hundred thousand. Conclusion: The MSN model provides a new thought and method for es-timating the number of pneumoconiosis cases.