Blood lead levels among children in Hawaii.
The objectives of this study were to estimate blood lead levels of children under 6 years of age in the State of Hawaii, to identify high-risk populations, and to decide what kind of blood lead screening program is needed in Hawaii. Children from Oahu and Maui were recruited in medical care facilities and 6 preschools. Informed consent for a blood lead test was obtained from the parents. A questionnaire was administered whenever possible; participation/response rates were quite low, varying between 15% and 50%. The mean blood lead level for the 389 study participants was 4.5 micrograms/dL. Twelve children (3% of children tested) had a level above 9 micrograms/dL. No child was found to have a level above 14 micrograms/dL. Blood lead levels varied by age, geographic area, occupational factors, laboratory that performed the analysis, and type of phlebotomy (capillary versus venous) but not by sex, ethnicity or age of home. Follow-up investigations in the 12 homes of the children with levels above 9/lg/dL were performed and in 3 homes a possible source of lead exposure was found.
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Hawaii State Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoring.
D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006254:Hawaii; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D007854:Lead