Abstract: Objective To investigate risk factors of nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate(NSCL/P) among Uygur and Han populations in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(Xinjiang)for making effective preventive measures.Methods A case-control study was carried out among 185 Uygur and Han cases and 105 age-,sex-,and ethnic-matched controls selected from 6 hospitals in Xinjiang;the data collected by a face-to-face interview were analyzed with univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results There were significant differences in gender,maternal health condition,and maternal history of getting cold during the pregnancy between Uygur NSCL/P cases and controls(all P< 0.05);significant differences between Han NSCL/P cases and controls were also observed in education level and alcohol drinking history of the father,maternal working intensity during the early pregnancy(all P< 0.05).Conclusion Ethnic differences exist in NSCL/P risk factors between Uygur and Han populations.Male gender,maternal illness conditions,maternal history of getting cold during pregnancy are risk factors of NSCL/P in Uygur population;education level and alcohol drinking history of the father,heavy working history during early pregnancy of the mother are risk factors of NSCL/P in Han population.