Relation Between Housing Age, Housing Value, and Childhood Blood Lead Levels in Children in Jefferson County, Ky

Lead poisoning is the most common cause of environmental disease in children. Elevated blood lead levels are associated with lower IQs, impaired growth and neurological development, and behavior problems. Approximately 890 000 (4.4%) children younger than 6 years in the United States have blood lead levels of 10 μg/dL or greater.1 Children who are Black, are poor, and live in older houses are at greatest risk.2 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend screening based on housing age and zip code. Geographic information systems technology allows a more specific mapping of areas with older housing than do zip codes.3 We refined this approach by linking socioeconomic data to tax assessor data to determine whether living in older or less-expensive housing is a risk factor for having an elevated blood lead level among children.