Blood Lead Levels and Associated Sociodemographic Factors Among Children Aged 3 to 14 Years Living Near Zinc and Lead Mines in Two Provinces in Vietnam

Lead poisoning in children is a major public health concern worldwide, especially in developing countries. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 403 children aged from 3 to 14 years living nearly zinc-lead mining areas in two provinces in Vietnam (Bac Kan and Thai Nguyen) from 06/2016 to 10/2016 to identify risk factors for lead contamination. . The proportion of children with blood lead levels (BLLs) ≥ 10 g/dL was 80.51% in Bac Kan and 50% in Thai Nguyen; the mean blood lead level for children was 14.41 ± 9.42 g/dL. In linear regression analyses, the body mass index was negatively associated with elevated BLLs with = -0.404, < 0.05 (95% CI: -0.801, -0.006). In multivariable regression analysis, several risk factors were associated with lead contamination including male sex (aOR = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.13-5.24, = 0.02), play areas in Bac Kan (aOR = 2.3 (1.02-5.17), = 0.04), proximity of children's home of less than 2 kilometers from the mine (aOR = 2.90 (1.54-5.44), = 0.001), and inattentive symptoms in Thai Nguyen (aOR = 7.85, 95% CI 3.49-17.69, = 0.001). Environmental factors, including lead concentrations in the soil and ambient air samples in both locations, are many times higher than Vietnamese standards.