Table 4.

Univariate associations between sociodemographic characteristics and Hg levels greater than median (0.16 μg/L) n Samburu, Kenya adolescents

	N	% > median Hg	RR	95% CI
Age (yrs)
<13	74	64	Ref
≥13	87	38	0.60	(0.43,0.82)
Sex
males	78	51	Ref
females	83	48	0.94	(0.69,1.28)
BMI (kg/m 2 )
<16	117	53	Ref
≥16	44	41	0.77	(0.52,1.14)
Anemia 1
No	107	32	Ref
Yes	54	59	0.53	(0.35,0.82)
Education (yrs)
< 7	95	47	Ref
≥ 7	62	53	1.14	(0.83,1.56)
Income (Kenya Shillings/month)
<3000	96	41	Ref
≥3000	65	63	1.55	(1.14,2.11)
Polygyny
No	67	60	Ref
Yes	94	43	0.71	(0.52,0.97)
Residence
highlands	97	90	Ref
lowlands	64	10	0.17	(0.09,0.33)
Number of siblings
< 5	83	51	Ref
≥ 5	74	49	0.96	(0.70,1.32)
Spending category (Kenya Shillings/month)
< 6000	88	67	Ref
≥ 6000	73	29	0.43	(0.29,0.63)
Currently in school
no	43	21	Ref
yes	118	60	2.87	(1.58,5.23)
Tea consumption (cups)
<2	137	44	Ref
≥ 2	23	50	0.86	(0.53,1.42)
Number of wives
< 2	139	53	Ref
≥ 2	15	20	0.38	(0.13,1.05)
Tropical Livestock Units
<9	81	42	Ref
≥ 9	80	58	1.40	(1.02,1.92)

¹Anemia was defined according to the World Health Organization cut-offs of hemoglobin < 12 g/dL for males and females less than 12–14 years of age, < 12 g/dL for females 15 years and older, and < 13 g/dL for males 15 years and older (WHO, 2011).

Abbreviations: Hg mercury, RR relative risk, yrs years, CI confidence interval,

Missing: age n=0, education n=3, income n=0, polygamous n=0, residence n=0, number of siblings n=4, spending n=0, school n=0, sex n= 0, tea n=1, number of wives n=7, tropical livestock units n=0, birth order n=4