Abstract
Background: An association between blood-lead levels and aggression has been demonstrated in children and adolescent youth in South Africa. However, there are limited studies that have assessed aggression as an outcome for cumulative lead exposure using bone-lead concentration. The aim of this study was to assess the association between bone-lead concentration and aggressive behaviour among a sample of the youth in South Africa. Methods: Bone lead in 100 participants (53 males and 47 females) recruited and followed in the Birth to Twenty (BT20) Cohort were measured using 109Cd-based, K-Shell X-ray Fluorescence (KXRF). The Buss-Perry Aggression questionnaire was used to measure aggressive behaviour. Linear regression models were fitted to determine the association between aggression score for physical, verbal, anger and hostility and bone lead, adjusting for known confounders. Results: The study participants were between the ages of 23 and 24 years. A one-microgram-per-gram increase in bone lead was found to increase the score for all four scales of aggression, but significantly only for anger (β=0.2 [95% CI 0.04-0.370]). Psychosocial factors such as a history of family violence and exposure to neighbourhood crime were found to be significant predictors for aggression. Conclusion: The study provides a preliminary overview of the relationship between cumulative lead exposure and behavioural problems such as aggression. A larger sample, across exposed communities, may prove more definitive in deciding whether further investigating this association could maximize generalizability. Such information could be crucial in the drafting of policies designed to combat crime associated with youth aggression in South Africa.
Chlordecone Exposure, Length of Gestation, and Risk of Preterm Birth