Term of Award
Fall 2024
Degree Name
Doctor of Public Health in Public Health Leadership (Dr.P.H.)
Document Type and Release Option
Dissertation (restricted to Georgia Southern)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health
Committee Chair
Gulzar Shah
Committee Member 1
Atin Adhikari
Committee Member 2
Kristie Waterfield
Abstract
Background: Elevated blood lead levels (EBLL) in children represent a significant public health issue, particularly in Georgia, where socioeconomic and environmental disparities exist. Understanding individual characteristics such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, and socio-economic status is crucial for identifying at-risk groups and informing effective interventions. This study aims to fill the research gap regarding how these factors influence EBLL among young children in Georgia, ultimately contributing to improved health outcomes and discussions on health equity.
Purpose: This study aims to investigate the impact of individual child-level characteristics, including age, gender, race/ethnicity, and socio-economic status, on elevated blood lead levels (EBLL) in children aged six years and younger residing in Georgia.
Methods: This study employs a retrospective correlational research design, utilizing secondary data from 15,921 elevated blood lead levels (EBLL) cases between 2014 and 2019. The analysis explores the relationship between various child and individual-level characteristics associated with these elevated blood lead levels.
Results: Four statistical analyses were performed to test how the child and individual level characteristics impacted EBLLs from 2014 to 2019. Findings from the research suggest a temporal change in EBLLs from 2014 to 2017 with significance levels less than p=£ 0.05. Between 2014 and 2019, children aged 0-6 months had significantly higher odds of having BLLs of ³7.00 mg/dL compared to those with levels ≤ 5.00 mg/dL (AOR= 2.99, CI= 1.344-6.653, p= 0.007). In contrast, children aged 7-12 months had lower odds of EBLLs (AOR= 0.753, CI=0.660-0.860, p=0.000). Rural counties had lower odds of EBLLs of ≥7.00 mg/dL than urban counties (AOR= 0.751, CI= 0.690-0.816, p= 0.000).
Conclusion: The findings from this study indicate that children aged 0-6 months are at a significantly higher risk for EBLLs of ≥ 7.00 mg/dL compared to those with EBLLs of ≤ 5.00 mg/dL. In contrast, children aged 7-12 months had significantly lower odds of EBLLs. Rural counties had a lower risk of EBLLs of ≥ 7.00 mg/dL than urban counties. These results highlight the importance of age and region-specific disparities in lead exposure risk, suggesting a need for targeted interventions for infants living in urban and historically urban communities to reduce prolonged lead exposure in children.
Recommended Citation
Jordan, JaLisa, "County and Individual Child-level Characteristics Associated with Elevated Blood Lead Levels in the State of Georgia" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2865.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/2865
Research Data and Supplementary Material
No
