Prevalence of elevated blood lead levels and evaluation of a lead-risk-screening questionnaire in rural Minnesota.
The objectives of the study reported here were to determine the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels in rural Minnesota and to evaluate a lead-risk-screening questionnaire. Blood lead tests and lead risk questionnaires were obtained for a sample of 1,090 children younger than 48 months of age (72 percent of the eligible population) from three rural counties of west-central Minnesota between September 1, 2001, and August 31, 2002. It was found that overall, 2.4 percent of children in the study had blood lead levels of > or = 10 microg/dL (0.48 micromol/L) (results for capillary and venous tests combined), 0.9 percent had venous blood lead levels of > or = 10 microg/dL, and 0.5 percent of study participants had blood lead levels of > or = 20 microg/dL (0.96 micromol/L). Three risk factor questions, when taken together, predicted 90 percent of blood lead levels of > or = 10 microg/dL and all blood lead levels of > or = 20 microg/dL. The study estimated the prevalence of lead poisoning using a sample of the entire population rather than a clinic-based convenience sample. The authors conclude that targeted screening is an effective way to identify lead-poisoned children in rural areas of Minnesota.
Zabel
Erik W
EW
Minnesota Department of Health, Environmental Health Division, St. Paul 55164-0975, USA. Erik.Zabel@state.mn.us
Falken
Myron C
MC
Sonnabend
Michele
M
Alms
Maureen
M
Symonik
Daniel
D
D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D007854:Lead