Mothers Awareness Regarding Hazard of Lead Pollution Among Children Under 5 Years

Abstract

Background: Lead poisoning is a public health problem in many areas of the world. Children are at particularly high risk for adverse effects of lead exposure; even at low concentrations, lead can affect physical, mental, and behavioral development. Aim of the present study is to assess of mothers awareness regarding hazard of lead pollution among children under 5 years. Design: destructive research design was utilized in the current study. Setting: The study was carried out at Douyia village in Beni Suef City, Beni Suef governorate, Egypt. Sample: Cluster sample was used to select homes with the assistance of the village map obtained from the Office of Health at Douyia district. Sample size:300 mothers of children under five years were selected. Tools: Two tools were developed by the researchers for data collection. Tool 1: structured interviewing questionnaire, included four parts (a) demographic characteristics of parent and child, (b) mother's knowledge, (c) mothers' reported health habits towards cleaning house and habits that increase lead pollution, (d) mothers reported children's nutritional habits, Tool II was observational checklist for the indoor and outdoor environment of the house. Results: the main finding of the present study revealed that for, 70% of mothers had poor knowledge regarding lead pollution, as for mothers’ habits, 70% of them wrong habits regarding cleaning the house, 80% of them wrong habit that increased lead pollution. Also, 65% of mothers not done practice regarding nutritional habits that effect lead pollution. Also , regarding observation checklist about indoor and outdoor the majority of them bad environment of the house , while , a statistically significant difference between total knowledge score , total habits , total practice of the studied children's mothers and all items of : parents age , level of education, occupation, , monthly income (P < 0.001).Conclusion : The majority of mothers had poor knowledge and wrong habit regarding lead pollution , and not done practice about nutrition practice to decreased lead pollution ,and the majority of indoor and outdoor bad environmental of the house .Recommendation: It is necessary to apply a health educational program for fathers whose jobs put them in contact with lead about how to protect themselves and their families from lead pollution; and further studies needed to be educated with different setting in rural area to improved knowledge and practice about hazard of lead pollution .