Identifying contextually relevant lead exposures and risk practices/behaviors in Botswana and assessing caregiver lead knowledge levels

Figures & data

Table 1. Demographic, socio-economic and housing characteristics of the sample

Variable	Categories	N (%)
Gender of parent/caregiver	Female	128 (84.8)
	Male	23 (15.2)
Education Level Female parent/caregiver	No formal schooling	2 (1.4)
	Primary school	13 (9.3)
	Secondary	59 (42.1)
	Tertiary	66 (47.1)
Education Male parent/caregiver	No formal schooling	3 (2.3)
	Primary school	14 (10.5)
	Secondary	53 (39.9)
	Tertiary	63 (47.4)
Income (BWP)	Less than P1,000	19 (17.4)
	1,000–2,500	31 (28.4)
	2,501–5000	21 (19.3)
	5,001–10,000	19 (17.4)
	10,001–15,000	7 (6.4)
	15,001–25,000	8 (7.3)
	>25,0000	4 (3.7)
Decade when home was built	Before 1980	23 (18.0)
	1980–1990	22 (17.2)
	1991–2000	22 (17.2)
	2001–2010	28 (21.9)
	2011 – 2019	27 (21.0)
	Don’t know	6 (4.7)
Duration of residence in current home	Less than 1 year	19 (14.7)
	1–5 years	61 (47.3)
	6–10 years	18 (14.0)
	10–15 years	6 (4.7)
	16–20 years	7 (5.4)
	>20 years	18 (14.0)
Visible peeling, cracking, chipping paint in home	Yes	65 (45.8)
	No	77 (54.2)

Note: Missingness varied from less than 1 % for gender to 25 % for income.

Table 2. Prevalence of lead exposures and risky practices in Gaborone, Botswana

Behaviors/Practices	Prevalence
Does your child suck any of his/her fingers?	42.8
Have you ever observed your child eating soil?	48.6
Have you ever observed your child eating paint chips?	18.8
Have you ever observed your child putting keys in his/her mouth?	70.3
Have you ever observed your child putting jewelry in his/her mouth?	55.4
Does your child live with a relative who paints houses?	15.9
Does your child live with a relative who works in a place where car batteries are made?	8.3
Does your child live with a relative who repairs cars?	16.1
Do you have any old vehicles in your yard?	23.5
Does your child consume any traditional herbal remedies?	12.7
Is there any peeling, chipping or cracking paint in your home?	45.8
Do you currently live close to a busy road?	63.1
Since this child was born, have you ever lived next to a busy road?	54.0

Table 3. Shows the Chicago lead knowledge test questions, the correct response and the corresponding percentage of each response option for each question

No	Statement	Correct Response	Correct	Incorrect	Don’t Know
1	Lead paint is more likely to be found in newer homes than in older homes.	False	18.8	38.5	43.4
2	High lead in the body can affect a child’s ability to learn.	True	62.1	5.5	32.4
3	Lead paint chips can be poisonous when eaten.	True	81.8	1.5	16.8
4	A child’s highest blood lead level generally occurs around 5 years of age.	False	9.1	25.9	65.0
5	Most children have symptoms right away if they have an elevated blood lead level	False	8.9	32.9	58.2
6	Living in a building during renovation/remodeling can increase a child’s exposure to lead.	True	76.0	3.4	20.6
7	Washing a child’s hands often helps prevent lead poisoning.	True	80.7	4.8	14.5
8	Cleaning a home with soap and water decreases the lead in the home more than dusting or sweeping.	True	66.0	9.7	24.3
9	A diet with a good amount of iron-containing foods will help decrease a child’s chance of becoming lead poisoned.	True	44.5	13.0	42.5
10	One way for children to get lead poisoned is by having lead dust on their hands and then putting their hands in their mouth.	True	75.3	6.9	17.8
11	Lead in water can be removed by boiling.	False	14.0	39.2	46.9
12	Most cases of childhood lead poisoning are caused by drinking water that contains lead.	False	13.1	51.0	35.9
13	Warm tap water usually contains less lead than cold tap water.	False	12.9	34.7	52.4
14	Apartment owners are required to tell renters about known lead-containing paint in the apartment when a lease is signed.	True	52.8	10.4	36.8
15	Parents who work with lead at their jobs can bring lead home on their clothes	True	66.9	8.3	24.8
16	Lead in soil cannot harm children.	False	59.9	17.0	23.1
17	Some pottery imported from Mexico or other countries is not safe to use in cooking or for eating, because it contains lead.	True	27.8	13.2	59.0
18	A child can become lead poisoned during exposure to lead-containing dust.	True	75.2	5.5	19.3
19	The lead a pregnant woman takes into her body can be transferred to the unborn baby.	True	50.7	10.3	39.0
20	Some herbal or traditional home remedies contain lead.	True	37.1	15.4	47.6
21	Most children get lead poisoned by breathing in lead, rather than by eating or swallowing lead	False	21.8	34.7	43.5
22	The human body needs a small amount of lead for good nutrition.	False	19.7	32.0	48.3