Abstract
Background and objectives: Lead poisoning is a preventable environmental health hazard. Although the prevalence of lead poisoning is declining, the rates are disproportionately high in selected communities. This community-based participatory research (CBPR) program aimed to enhance people’s awareness on lead poisoning prevention through community outreach and educational interventions in Mississippi.
 Methods: Secondary data of 42,372 children obtained from the Mississippi State Department of Health were analyzed to identify the most affected communities in Mississippi. Community-based outreach and education activities were carried out in the most affected areas to increase population awareness on lead poisonig prevention.
 Results: Hands-on training was offered to 25 participants at homebuilding retail stores. Of them, 23 (92%) reported the hands-on training was very useful or useful. Among 91 home-buyers and rental home owners who attended workshops offered by the Neighborhood Association, 90% mentioned that the training was useful or very useful. An online visual training was given to 220 realtors, and 75 inspectors, contractors, and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) workers. At posttest, 59.4%, 67.9%, 65.1% of the realtors, inspectors, contractors and DIY workers (n = 295) identified soil, car batteries and paint as sources of lead in the environment, respectively. A total of 62.3%, 48.1% and 58.5%, at posttest, identified three complications - behavioral, physical and psychological, respectively. The mean posttest score was significantly higher than the pretest scores (7.47 ± 2.07 vs. 6.60 ± 1.68, p = 0.04, respectively).
 Conclusion: These outreach activities were successful in improving the knowledge of the community people on lead poisoning prevention.
 Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2021; 15(1): 16-25
Highlights
In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had lowered the cutoff point of blood lead levels (BLLs) from 10 μg/dL to 5 μg/dL, in order to identify children as having lead exposure earlier and parents, doctors, public health officials, and communities to take action sooner [1]
The National Childhood Blood Lead Surveillance Data shows that BLLs remained low, ranging from 2.0% to 2.4% from 2012 to 2016, with a slight increase of the rate to 3.0% in 2017 in the United States [2]
To provide a comprehensive effort to educating community people on childhood exposure to lead and lead prevention, we developed a CommunityBased Participatory Research (CBPR) program called Community Lead Awareness Partnership (CLAP) for Healthy Kids in Mississippi
Summary
In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had lowered the cutoff point of blood lead levels (BLLs) from 10 μg/dL to 5 μg/dL, in order to identify children as having lead exposure earlier and parents, doctors, public health officials, and communities to take action sooner [1]. According to the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), there are approximately 3.8 million houses or buildings that have children living in them who are potentially being exposed to lead [4]. The prevalence of lead poisoning is declining, the rates are disproportionately high in selected communities. This community-based participatory research (CBPR) program aimed to enhance people’s awareness on lead poisoning prevention through community outreach and educational interventions in Mississippi
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