DISTRIBUTION OF BLOOD LEAD LEVELS IN 1047 SAUDI-ARABIAN CHILDREN WITH RESPECT TO PROVINCE, SEX, AND AGE

Relationships between blood lead concentrations in 1 047 children aged 2 mo to 16 y and age, sex, and province (i.e., residence) were examined. The relationships were consistent with other studies, in which mean blood lead concentrations reportedly increased during the first 5 y of life, after which began to decrease, reaching a minimum at approximately 16 y of age. However, boys who were more than 6 y of age had higher blood lead concentrations than similarly aged girls. Blood lead levels of children living in the Eastern Province were higher than levels found in children from other provinces. Most of the children in this study who had elevated blood lead concentrations resided in small towns, e.g., Ehssa, Abqiq, Hofouf, rather than in cities such as Dammam and Dahran. Factors, such as socioeconomic status and cultural habits (e.g., diet, use of traditional remedies and cosmetics), may have contributed to this result.