OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between body lead burden and social adjustment. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Public school community. PARTICIPANTS: From a population of 850 boys in the first grade at public schools, 503 were selected on the basis of a risk scale for antisocial behavior. All of the 850 boys who scored in the upper 30th percentile of the distribution on a self-reported antisocial behavior scale were matched with an equal number drawn by lot from the lower 70% of the distribution. From this sample, 301 students accepted the invitation to participate. EXPOSURE MEASURE: K x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy of tibia at subjects' age of 12 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), teachers' and parents' reports, and subjects' self-report of antisocial behavior and delinquency at 7 and 11 years of age. RESULTS: Subjects, teachers, and parents were blind to the bone lead measurements. At 7 years of age, borderline associations between teachers' aggression, delinquency, and externalizing scores and lead levels were observed after adjustment for covariates. At 11 years of age, parents reported a significant lead-related association with the following CBCL cluster scores: somatic complaints and delinquent, aggressive, internalizing, and externalizing behavior. Teachers reported significant associations of lead with somatic complaints, anxious/depressed behavior, social problems, attention problems, and delinquent, aggressive, internalizing, and externalizing behavior. High-lead subjects reported higher scores in subjects' self-reports of delinquency at 11 years. High-lead subjects were more likely to obtain worse scores on all items of the CBCL during the 4-year period of observation. High bone lead levels were associated with an increased risk of exceeding the clinical score (T > 70) for attention, aggression, and delinquency. CONCLUSION: Lead exposure is associated with increased risk for antisocial and delinquent behavior, and the effect follows a developmental course.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between body lead burden and social adjustment. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Public school community. PARTICIPANTS: From a population of 850 boys in the first grade at public schools, 503 were selected on the basis of a risk scale for antisocial behavior. All of the 850 boys who scored in the upper 30th percentile of the distribution on a self-reported antisocial behavior scale were matched with an equal number drawn by lot from the lower 70% of the distribution. From this sample, 301 students accepted the invitation to participate. EXPOSURE MEASURE: K x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy of tibia at subjects' age of 12 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), teachers' and parents' reports, and subjects' self-report of antisocial behavior and delinquency at 7 and 11 years of age. RESULTS: Subjects, teachers, and parents were blind to the bone lead measurements. At 7 years of age, borderline associations between teachers' aggression, delinquency, and externalizing scores and lead levels were observed after adjustment for covariates. At 11 years of age, parents reported a significant lead-related association with the following CBCL cluster scores: somatic complaints and delinquent, aggressive, internalizing, and externalizing behavior. Teachers reported significant associations of lead with somatic complaints, anxious/depressed behavior, social problems, attention problems, and delinquent, aggressive, internalizing, and externalizing behavior. High-lead subjects reported higher scores in subjects' self-reports of delinquency at 11 years. High-lead subjects were more likely to obtain worse scores on all items of the CBCL during the 4-year period of observation. High bone lead levels were associated with an increased risk of exceeding the clinical score (T > 70) for attention, aggression, and delinquency. CONCLUSION: Lead exposure is associated with increased risk for antisocial and delinquent behavior, and the effect follows a developmental course.
Authors: B Kaul; J O Rasmuson; R L Olsen; C R Chanda; T I Slazhneva; E I Granovsky; A A Korchevsky Journal: Indian J Pediatr Date: 2000-02 Impact factor: 1.967
Authors: Richard L Canfield; Charles R Henderson; Deborah A Cory-Slechta; Christopher Cox; Todd A Jusko; Bruce P Lanphear Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2003-04-17 Impact factor: 91.245