A new approach to screening for lead poisoning

Article Outline

• Copyright

Vaidyanathan et al from the Centers for Disease Control and the Georgia Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program have studied strategies for assessing risk for lead exposure using data from Atlanta. They have developed a strategy based on a geographic information system containing census, land parcel, and neighborhood spatial data combined with proxies for poverty (WIC) and the quantity of lead in house paint (year of housing construction). This approach leads to smaller geographic areas being identified to assign risk and assess testing. Testing could be improved by collaboration between pediatricians and public health administrators using this type of approach.