An innovative blood lead screening program for Indian children

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Pediatric Health
• Native American Health

Background:

• Limited data exists on blood lead levels in Native American children nationally.
• Concerns regarding environmental pollution and child health prompted a study on the Rocky Boy Reservation.
• The Chippewa and Cree tribes initiated a lead screening program to address these concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess blood lead levels in children residing on the Rocky Boy Reservation.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based lead screening program.
• To understand the participation rates of Native American families in health screening initiatives.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative lead screening program was developed with financial support from the Environmental Protection Agency.
• The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Head Start programs were utilized to identify and screen nearly all children aged 1-5 on the reservation.
• Blood lead levels were measured for participating children.

Main Results:

• The average blood lead level for children aged 1-5 on the Rocky Boy Reservation was 2.4 micrograms/dL.
• This average blood lead level was not significantly different from national averages for children in the same age group.
• The screening program achieved high participation rates among eligible children.

Conclusions:

• The lead screening program on the Rocky Boy Reservation demonstrated that Native American families are willing to participate in initiatives aimed at improving their children's health.
• Blood lead levels in children on the reservation are comparable to national figures, suggesting environmental lead exposure may not be significantly higher.
• Community-based screening programs integrated with existing services like WIC and Head Start are effective for reaching target populations.