Environmental lead exposure and socio-behavioural adjustment in the early teens: the birth to twenty cohort

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dc.date.accessioned 2012-01-18 en
dc.date.accessioned 2022-08-17T18:35:15Z
dc.date.available 2022-08-17T18:35:15Z
dc.date.issued 2015-08-25 en
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/3557
dc.description.abstract Lead exposure remains high in South Africa. Environmental lead exposure has been associated with behaviour problems in childhood and adolescence. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between blood lead levels and socio-behavioural problems among young adolescents in the Birth to Twenty cohort (Bt20). The uniquely South African Bt20 cohort started in 1989 and is a long-term prospective follow-up study of the health and well-being of children born in the Greater Johannesburg area. The total analytical sample size consisted of 1041 adolescents (487 males and 554 females). Blood lead levels were obtained from whole venous blood that was collected. Thirty two items representing Rule-breaking and Aggressive behavioural characteristics from the Youth Self Report (YSR) were assessed. Bivariate and multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess for associations between blood lead levels and socio-behavioural problems at 13 years of age. The geometric mean blood lead level was significantly higher in boys compared to girls. In the total analytical sample four behavioural items were significantly associated with the geometric mean blood lead levels. When stratifying the sample by sex, the bivariate analyses showed that boys' blood lead levels were significantly associated with four types of aggressive behaviour. There were no significant associations found in girls. The multivariate analysis was conducted in the boys sample and after adjusting for socio-economic factors "Attacking People" remained significantly associated with blood lead levels. High blood lead levels are associated with anti-social and destructive behaviour amongst boys in their early teens. However, the relationships are complex and confounded by other aspects of adversity. en
dc.format.medium Print en
dc.subject LEAD EXPOSURE en
dc.subject ADOLESCENTS en
dc.subject BIRTH TO TEN NOW BIRTH TO TWENTY (BT20) en
dc.subject BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS en
dc.subject YOUTH en
dc.title Environmental lead exposure and socio-behavioural adjustment in the early teens: the birth to twenty cohort en
dc.type Journal Article en
dc.description.version Y en
dc.ProjectNumber N/A en
dc.Volume 414 en
dc.BudgetYear 2011/12 en
dc.ResearchGroup HIV/AIDS, STIs and TB en
dc.SourceTitle Science of the Total Environment en
dc.ArchiveNumber 7073 en
dc.PageNumber 120-125 en
dc.outputnumber 5719 en
dc.bibliographictitle Naicker, N., Richter, L., Mathee, A., Becker, P. & Norris, S.A. (2012) Environmental lead exposure and socio-behavioural adjustment in the early teens: the birth to twenty cohort. Science of the Total Environment. 414:120-125. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/3557 en
dc.publicationyear 2012 en
dc.contributor.author1 Naicker, N. en
dc.contributor.author2 Richter, L. en
dc.contributor.author3 Mathee, A. en
dc.contributor.author4 Becker, P. en
dc.contributor.author5 Norris, S.A. en


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