Lead related behavioral and psychological performance changes in primary school children from industrial, urban and rural areas in Egypt
Author: Faris R, Kamal A AM, Shoman A, Beshary Z, Massoud A
Source:
WISS-UMW. -/1-2 (31-36) 1991
This study was initiated to investigate the possible impact of environmental low lead level exposure on behavior and psychological performance of school children. For this purpose we measured indicators of lead absorption (capillary blood lead, scalp hair lead and urine delta aminoleviolenic acid) as well as parameters of behavior and psychoperformance (hyperactivity scale, good enough test for ability to draw a man, picture completion test, vocabulary test, digit span test, and digit symbol test) among three groups of children. These were 100, 100 and 78 children, which constituted the total children of the fifth year of three primary schools from industrial, urban and rural areas respectively. After consideration of the possible confounding factors e.g. sex, age, birth order, mother's age at child's birth, socioeconomic status of the family and perinatal, natal or postnatal risk factors, the following results were observed: The three indicators of lead absorption differed significantly between the three groups in the sense that: Indicators of those from industrial area > than of those from urban area > than of those from rural arePsychological parameters showed a corresponding increased hyperactivity and lowered psychoperformance. Hyperactivity scale, Good enough and picture completion tests were the psychological parameters which significantly correlated with all the three indicators of lead absorption. In this domain hyperactivity scale was the most correlated one. The study confirms the opinion that environmental low lead level exposure constitutes a potential risk for behavioral and psycho-performance development among children with its possible negative consequences.