Table 1.
Characteristics of included studies.
| References | Country (city) | Year of survey | Age of subjects (years) |
Sample size (n) |
Mean ± SD (range) BLL (μg/dl) |
BLL ≥ 10 μg/dl (%) |
Population description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark (47) | Zambia | NR (but during or before 1977) | NR | 122 | 41.2 ± 14.4 | NR | Pregnant women living near a lead mine |
| 31 | 14.7 ± 7.5 | Pregnant women living away from lead mine | |||||
| Ojo et al. (48) | Nigeria (IleIfe) | NR | NR | 62 | 6.81 ± 2.61 (2.46–15.09) | 11 | Non-pregnant women of childbearing age occupationally exposed to lead |
| Haefliger et al. (26) | Senegal (Dakar) | 2007–2008 | 20–44 | 23 | 55.3 ± 19.8 (32.5 −98.8) | 100 | Mothers of children who died of lead poisoning |
| Odhiambo et al. (49) | Kenya (Nairobi) | 1998 | 15–40 | 223 | 28.4 (0–295.0) |
72.2 | Pregnant women |
| Rollin et al. (50) | South Africa | 2005–2006 | 14–41 | 96 | 2.09a (0.74–5.03) |
NR | Pregnant women in rural area |
| 3.29a (1.63–8.15) |
Urban area | ||||||
| 2.07a (1.1–3.23) |
Industrial area | ||||||
| 2.37a (1.06–3.89) |
Atlantic ocean | ||||||
| 2.64a (0.61–16.15) |
Mining area | ||||||
| 2.19a (0.88–2.94) |
Indian ocean | ||||||
| 1.15a (1.63–4.94) |
Inland area | ||||||
| Adekunle et al. (51) | Nigeria (Lagos) | 2006−2008 | 17–49 | 317 | 59.5 ± 2.1 | NR | Pregnant women |
| 27.7 ± 1.1 | Non-pregnant women | ||||||
| Ikaraoha et al. (30) | Nigeria (Edo) | 2006–2008 | NR | 59 | 60.2 ± 12.8 | NR | Women with preeclampsia |
| 150 | 26.3 ± 8.0 | Normal pregnant women | |||||
| 122 | 13.1 ± 6.4 | Non-pregnant women | |||||
| Njoku and Orisakwe (52) | Nigeria (Owerri) | 2011 | NR | 99 | 99 ± 123 (2–448) | 78.9 | Pregnant women |
| Ugwuja et al. (45, 46) | Nigeria (Abakaliki) | 2007–2008 | 15–40 | 349 | 36.4 ± 18.5 (2.7–73.8) | 88.5 | Pregnant women (GA ≤ 25 weeks) |
| Mbogwe (53) | Botswana (Central district) | 2009–2010 | 18–44 | 137 | 1.96 ± 0.14 | 5.5b | 1st trimester |
| 126 | 2.49 ± 0.17 | 5.6b | 2nd trimester | ||||
| 106 | 2.66 ± 0.19 | 3.1b | 3rd trimester | ||||
| Mathee et al. (54) | South Africa (Johannes-burg) | 2010 | 18–46 | 306 | 0.83c | 2.3b | Total pregnant women |
| 247 | 1.44c (1.0–9.9) |
Non-Geophagic | |||||
| 60 | 2.06c (1.0–8.6) |
Goephagic | |||||
| Obi et al. (55) | Nigeria (Nnewi) |
2010–2011 | 18–40 | 119 | 6.19 ± 2.77 (2.17–15.25) |
10.9 | Women at delivery |
| Chercos and Moges (56) | Ethiopia (Adis-Ababa) | 2011 | (27.6 ± 7.2) | 40 | 34.32 ± 6.69 | NR | Women living along a highway |
| (26.3 + 6.3) | 36 | 8.47 + 3.01 | Women living 10 km from a highway | ||||
| Bodeau-Livinec et al. (57) | Benin (Cotonou) | 2011–2013 | NR | 227 | 5.14+2.23 (2.28–20.20) |
2.6 (43.6b) | Mother of children (aged 1–2 years) with elevated blood lead levels. |
a
Median.
b
Prevalence of BLL ≥ 5 μg/dl.
c
Geometric mean.
NR, Not reported.