Table 1.
Demographic and lead-exposure characteristics of a convenience sample of children aged 9 months to 6 years (n = 273) tested for blood lead levels, by geographic area, Haiti, 2015a
| Characteristic | Total (N = 273) | Coastal Areab (n = 95) | Urban Areac (n = 78) | Mountain Aread (n = 100) | P Valuee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y, No. (%) | .39 | ||||
| <2 | 67 (24.5) | 29 (30.5) | 16 (20.5) | 22 (22.0) | |
| 2 | 55 (20.1) | 17 (17.9) | 14 (17.9) | 24 (24.0) | |
| ≥3 | 151 (55.3) | 49 (51.6) | 48 (61.5) | 54 (54.0) | |
| Female, No. (%) | 138 (50.5) | 47 (49.5) | 37 (47.4) | 54 (54.0) | .66 |
| Weekly income, median (IQR), US $ | 1500 (1000-2500) | 1500 (1000-2500) | 1500 (1000-2500) | 1500 (840-2500) | .43f |
| Poor nutrition, No. (%) | 48 (17.6) | 10 (10.5) | 11 (14.1) | 27 (27.0) | .007 |
| Lead exposure, No. (%) | |||||
| Paint | <.001 | ||||
| Present | 31 (11.4) | 4 (4.2) | 15 (19.2) | 12 (12.0) | |
| Absent | 115 (42.1) | 14 (14.7) | 40 (51.3) | 61 (61.0) | |
| Unknown | 127 (46.5) | 77 (81.1) | 23 (29.5) | 27 (27.0) | |
| Improperly discarded batteries (n = 272) | .82 | ||||
| Present | 132 (48.0) | 46 (48.4) | 35 (44.9) | 51 (51.0) | |
| Absent | 126 (46.2) | 44 (46.3) | 40 (51.3) | 42 (42.0) | |
| Unknown | 14 (5.1) | 5 (5.2) | 3 (3.8) | 6 (6.0) | |
| Gasoline (n = 272) | <.001 | ||||
| Present | 77 (28.2) | 41 (43.2) | 15 (19.2) | 21 (21.0) | |
| Absent | 109 (39.9) | 21 (22.1) | 38 (48.7) | 50 (50.0) | |
| Unknown | 86 (31.5) | 33 (34.7) | 25 (32.1) | 28 (28.0) | |
| Daily exposure to vehicles, No. (%) | .001 | ||||
| <5 vehicles | 49 (17.9) | 16 (16.8) | 7 (9.0) | 26 (26.0) | |
| 5-25 vehicles | 72 (26.4) | 29 (30.5) | 22 (28.2) | 21 (21.0) | |
| 26-100 vehicles | 66 (24.2) | 28 (29.5) | 11 (14.1) | 27 (27.0) | |
| 101-200 vehicles | 22 (8.1) | 6 (6.3) | 7 (9.0) | 9 (9.0) | |
| >200 vehicles | 64 (23.4) | 16 (16.8) | 31 (39.7) | 17 (17.0) | |
| Serum BLL, median (IQR)g | 5.8 (4.5-7.7) | 5.2 (4.2-6.8) | 5.1 (4.2-6.9) | 6.9 (5.5-8.4) | .001f |
| BLL 5 to <10 μg/dL, No. (%) | 180 (65.9) | 56 (58.9) | 42 (53.8) | 82 (82.0) | <.001 |
| BLL 10 to <20 μg/dL, No. (%) | 28 (10.3) | 7 (7.4) | 7 (9.0) | 14 (14.0) | .31 |
| BLL ≥20 μg/dL, No. (%) | 3 (1.1) | 2 (2.1) | 1 (1.3) | 0 | .39h |
Abbreviations: BLL, blood lead level; IQR, interquartile range.
a Data collected at 6 churches in Haiti from March 1 through June 30, 2015.
b Artibonite Department.
c Nord-Ouest Department.
d Centre Department.
e All P values were calculated using the Pearson χ2 test unless otherwise indicated; P < .05 was considered significant.
f Using the Kruskal-Wallis test; P < .05 was considered significant.
g BLLs ≥5 μg/dL were considered to be elevated.48
h Using the Fisher exact text; P < .05 was considered significant.