Children's blood lead and standardized test performance response as indicators of neurotoxicity in metropolitan New Orleans elementary schools
Children's blood lead and standardized test performance response as indicators of neurotoxicity in metropolitan New Orleans elementary schools
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DOI：
10.1016/j.neuro.2009.07.017
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发表时间：
2009-11-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.4
通讯作者：
Gonzales, C.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Zahran, S.;Mielke, H. W.;Gonzales, C.
本研究分析了卡特里娜飓风前新奥尔良市117个小学区学生总成绩和儿童血铅（BPb）的变化。路易斯安那州教育评估计划（LEAP）测试的四年级学生成绩进行了分析，作为一个功能的BPb为1-6岁的儿童在学区内，控制学生与教师的比例，有资格获得免费或折扣午餐的学生的百分比，和学校的种族人口。跨学科领域（英语语言艺术、科学、数学和社会研究）的表现衡量标准包括学校成绩测试分数（ATS）以及学生成绩的一致性和差异指数。安非他明类兴奋剂采用5分制衡量，对应成绩类别为高级= 5至不满意= 1。回归结果显示，中位BPb（μ g/dL）和BPb > 10 μ g/dL的儿童百分比与所有科目的考试成绩下降显著相关，并降低了学生在不同成绩类别中的表现差异。这些数据表明，帮助儿童改善学校表现需要减轻学前铅暴露及其相关的神经毒性损伤。成本效益计算表明，支付一次性的初级预防费用比支付持续的费用集中在扭转神经毒性损害上更具成本效益。(C)2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
This study analyzes pre-Katrina variation in aggregate student performance and children's blood lead (BPb) in 117 elementary school districts in metropolitan New Orleans. Fourth grade student achievement on Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) tests were analyzed as a function of BPb for children 1-6 years old within school districts, controlling for student-teacher ratios, percent of students eligible for a free or discounted lunch, and school racial demography. Measures of performance across subject areas (English Language Arts, Science, Mathematics, and Social Studies) include school Achievement Test Scores (ATS) and indices of agreement and variation in student achievement. ATS are measured on a 5-point scale, corresponding to achievement categories of advanced = 5 to unsatisfactory = 1. Regression results show that median BPb (mu g/dL) and percent of children with BPb > 10 mu g/dL are significantly associated with reductions in test scores across all subjects and depress variation in student performance across achievement categories. These data suggest that assisting children with improved school performance requires alleviation of pre-school Pb exposure and its associated neurotoxic damage. Cost-benefit calculations suggest that it is more cost effective to pay for onetime primary prevention instead of paying continuous expenses focused on reversing neurotoxic damage. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.