Table 3

Other potential risk factors for children's exposure to lead by blood lead concentrations


Blood lead concentration (μg/L)




<100 (N = 242) n (%)
> = 100 (N = 39) n (%)
Total (N = 281) n (%)
P-value

Overall health status




     Good-Excellent
188 (77.7)
30 (76.9)
218 (77.6)
0.92
     Poor-Satisfactory
54 (22.3)
9 (23.1)
63 (22.4)

Iron deficiency




     No
163 (76.9)
26 (66.7)
189 (67.7)
0.94
     Yes, without anemia
27 (11.3)
4 (10.3)
31 (11.1)

     Yes, with anemia
50 (20.8)
9 (23.1)
59 (21.1)

Source of drinking water




     Municipality
88 (36.4)
20 (51.3)
108 (38.4)
0.08
     Other†
154 (63.6)
19 (48.7)
173 (61.6)

Source of water for cooking




     Municipality
144 (60.3)
25 (64.1)
169 (60.8)
0.65
     Other†
95 (39.7)
14 (35.9)
109 (39.2)

Use hot tap water for milk or cooking




     Yes
14 (5.9)
6 (15.8)
20 (7.2)
0.03
     No
225 (94.1)
32 (84.2)
257 (92.8)

Runs tap water before use




     Yes
121 (51.3)
23 (59.0)
144 (52.4)
0.37
     No
115 (48.7)
16 (41.0)
131 (47.6)

Child eats canned food




     Yes
73 (30.2)
12 (30.8)
85 (30.2)
0.94
     No
169 (69.8)
27 (69.2)
196 (69.8)

Use glazed pottery for food‡




     Yes
19 (8.2)
1 (2.6)
20 (7.4)
0.33
     No
213 (91.8)
38 (97.4)
251 (92.6)

Pica behavior§




     Yes
66 (27.7)
9 (23.1)
75 (27.1)
0.54
     No
172 (72.3)
30 (76.9)
202 (72.9)

Ever applied kohl on child




     Yes
30 (12.4)
13 (33.3)
43 (15.3)
0.001
     No
212 (87.6)
26 (66.7)
238 (84.7)

Child plays outside home∥




     Yes
48 (20.5)
11 (28.2)
59 (21.6)
0.28
     No
186 (79.5)
28 (71.8)
214 (78.4)

Child goes to school




     Yes
31 (12.9)
6 (15.8)
37 (13.3)
0.63
     No
209 (87.1)
32 (84.2)
241 (86.7)

Mother smokes




     Yes
71 (29.3)
13 (33.3)
84 (29.9)
0.61
     No
171 (70.7)
26 (66.7)
197 (70.1)

Exposure to passive smoking¶




     Yes
161 (66.8)
29 (74.4)
190 (67.9)
0.59
     No
80 (33.2)
10 (25.6)
90 (32.1)

Potential for father's occupational exposure to lead††




     Low
164 (67.8)
18 (47.4)
182 (66.2)
0.008
     Moderate-High
73 (30.8)
20 (52.6)
93 (33.8)

Mother's hobbies with potential Pb exposure‡‡




     Yes
10 (4.1)
2 (5.1)
12 (4.3)
0.78
     No
232 (95.9)
37 (94.9)
269 (95.7)

Father's hobbies with potential Pb exposure‡‡




     Yes
73 (30.2)
14 (35.9)
87 (31.0)
0.47
     No
169 (69.8)
25 (64.1)
194 (69.0)


Note: Missing data in some variables. † Bottled water, Springs. ‡ For cooking or serving food §Child seen eating clay, dirt, paint, plaster, or material from the floor. ∥ Outside home, such as playground, street, parking lot, or garden. ¶Any smoker (father, mother, or other resident) at home. †† Based on job title. ‡‡ Hobbies such as painting, hunting, or fishing.

Nuwayhid et al. Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source 2003 2:5   doi:10.1186/1476-069X-2-5