Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109, USA.
Bull Environ Contam Toxicol. 2011 Sep;87(3):238-44. doi: 10.1007/s00128-011-0346-4. Epub 2011 Jul 2.
This study explored the hypothesis that acculturation is a risk factor for childhood lead poisoning in the Detroit area of Michigan. Blood lead levels (BLLs) were determined in 429 Arab American and African American children, aged 6 months to 15 years, who were receiving well-child examination in three Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) clinics in the city. Mean BLL was 3.8 ± 2.3 μg/dL (range: 1-18 μg/dL) and 3.3% of the children tested had blood lead values above the 10 μg/dL level of concern. Neither the age of the dwelling units nor ethnicity of the child was significantly associated with the BLL. Multivariable analyses instead identified a number of acculturation-related factors that are associated with elevation in blood lead including paternal education, language spoken at home (English only, English and Arabic, or Arabic only), home ownership, smoking in the home, and exposure of child to home health remedies. The difference in blood lead between Arab American children from families where Arabic only versus Arabic and English is spoken at home was found to be statistically significant. This study provides information showing that immigrant children are at heightened risk of being poisoned by lead which can be useful in identifying groups at risk of atypical exposures.
本研究旨在探讨这样一个假设，即文化适应是密歇根州底特律地区儿童铅中毒的一个风险因素。在该城市的三个妇女、婴儿和儿童（WIC）诊所中，对 429 名年龄在 6 个月至 15 岁之间的阿拉伯裔美国人和非裔美国儿童进行了血铅水平（BLL）检测。平均 BLL 为 3.8±2.3μg/dL（范围：1-18μg/dL），3.3%的儿童血铅值高于 10μg/dL 的关注水平。居住单元的年龄和儿童的种族均与 BLL 无显著相关性。多变量分析确定了一些与血铅升高相关的文化适应相关因素，包括父亲的教育程度、在家中使用的语言（仅英语、英语和阿拉伯语或仅阿拉伯语）、房屋所有权、家中吸烟以及儿童接触家庭健康补救措施。发现仅在家中讲阿拉伯语与既讲阿拉伯语又讲英语的阿拉伯裔美国儿童之间的血铅差异具有统计学意义。这项研究提供了有关信息，表明移民儿童面临更高的铅中毒风险，这有助于识别具有非典型暴露风险的群体。
