Are lead risk questionnaires adequate predictors of blood lead levels in children?
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the accuracy of the verbal lead risk assessment tool in identifying the presence of measurable blood lead levels (BLL) in children.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis comparing results of a verbal lead risk assessment tool intended to identify elevated BLL in children with actual capillary fingerstick lead screening laboratory data. Three hundred and forty-nine children aged 5 years and younger enrolled in Head Start during the 2008-2009 school year were evaluated. Sixty-nine children had complete data and were included for final analysis.


METHODS
Results of the verbal lead risk assessment and laboratory capillary fingerstick BLL.


RESULTS
All 69 children had measurable BLL. The Pass group, 84.3% of the sample, had BLL scores of 2.2±1.5 μg/dl, while the Fail group, 15.7% of the sample, had BLL scores of 1.5±0.65 μg/dl. There was no significant difference in BLL between children that passed the verbal risk assessment and those that failed ( p>.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The verbal lead risk assessment did not accurately predict measurable BLL in children. Universal BLL screening for children is necessary to identify low levels of lead so that parents and caretakers of children can be notified and assisted in identifying and eliminating sources of lead exposure.
College of Nursing, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia, USA. bsdyal@valdosta.edu
Brenda
B
Dyal
D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D011637:Public Health Nursing; D015980:Public Health Practice; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D007854:Lead