Needleman Herbert L, McFarland Christine, Ness Roberta B, Fienberg Stephen E, Tobin Michael J
Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Keystone Building, Suite 310, 3520 Fifth Avenue, PA 15213, USA.
Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2002 Nov-Dec;24(6):711-7. doi: 10.1016/s0892-0362(02)00269-6.
Lead exposure shares many risk factors with delinquent behavior, and bone lead levels are related to self-reports of delinquent acts. No data exist as to whether lead exposure is higher in arrested delinquents. The goal of this study is to evaluate the association between lead exposure, as reflected in bone lead levels, and adjudicated delinquency.
This is a case-control study of 194 youths aged 12-18, arrested and adjudicated as delinquent by the Juvenile Court of Allegheny County, PA and 146 nondelinquent controls from high schools in the city of Pittsburgh. Bone lead was measured by K-line X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy of tibia. Logistic regression was used to model the association between delinquent status and bone lead concentration. Covariates entered into the model were race, parent education and occupation, presence of two parental figures in the home, number of children in the home and neighborhood crime rate. Separate regression analyses were also conducted after stratification on race.
Cases had significantly higher mean concentrations of lead in their bones than controls (11.0+/-32.7 vs. 1.5+/-32.1 ppm). This was true for both Whites and African Americans. The unadjusted odds ratio for a lead level > or =25 vs. <25 ppm was 1.9 (95% CL: 1.1-3.2). After adjustment for covariates and interactions and removal of noninfluential covariates, adjudicated delinquents were four times more likely to have bone lead concentrations >25 ppm than controls (OR=4.0, 95% CL: 1.4-11.1).
Elevated body lead burdens, measured by bone lead concentrations, are associated with elevated risk for adjudicated delinquency.
铅暴露与犯罪行为有许多共同的风险因素，骨铅水平与犯罪行为的自我报告相关。关于被捕少年的铅暴露是否更高尚无数据。本研究的目的是评估骨铅水平所反映的铅暴露与判定犯罪之间的关联。
这是一项病例对照研究，研究对象为194名年龄在12 - 18岁之间、被宾夕法尼亚州阿勒格尼县少年法庭逮捕并判定为犯罪的青少年，以及来自匹兹堡市高中的146名非犯罪对照者。通过胫骨的K线X射线荧光（XRF）光谱法测量骨铅。采用逻辑回归模型分析犯罪状态与骨铅浓度之间的关联。纳入模型的协变量有种族、父母的教育程度和职业、家中是否有双亲、家中孩子数量以及邻里犯罪率。在按种族分层后也进行了单独的回归分析。
病例组的骨铅平均浓度显著高于对照组（11.0±32.7 vs. 1.5±32.1 ppm）。白人和非裔美国人都是如此。铅水平≥25 ppm与＜25 ppm相比，未调整的优势比为1.9（95%可信区间：1.1 - 3.2）。在对协变量和交互作用进行调整并去除无影响的协变量后，判定为犯罪的青少年骨铅浓度＞25 ppm的可能性是对照组的四倍（优势比 = 4.0，95%可信区间：1.4 - 11.1）。
通过骨铅浓度测量的体内铅负荷升高与判定犯罪的风险升高相关。
