Effect of childhood proximity to lead mining on late life cognition

Mark Lee; Haena Lee; John Robert Warren; Pamela Herd

doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101037

Effect of childhood proximity to lead mining on late life cognition

Mark Lee, Haena Lee, John Robert Warren, Pamela Herd

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Abstract

Introduction: Lead exposure negatively affects cognitive functioning among children. However, there is limited evidence about whether exposure to lead in early life impairs later life cognitive functioning. Methods: Participants in the prospective Wisconsin Longitudinal Study cohort (N = 8583) were linked to the 1940 Census, which was taken when they were young children. We estimated the effect of living near a lead mine in childhood on late life memory/attention and language/executive function in 2004 (mean age 64) and 2011 (mean age 71). Results: Lead-exposed children had significantly steeper memory/attention decline between 2004 and 2011 and worse language/executive function at baseline in late life. These long-term effects of lead were not mediated through adolescent IQ or late life SES and health factors. Discussion: Proximity to lead mining in childhood had long-term effects on late life memory/attention decline and language/executive function, reflecting a possible latent influence of lead exposure. More research is needed to understand behavioral and biological pathways underlying this relationship.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	101037
Journal	SSM - Population Health
Volume	17
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101037
State	Published - Mar 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study is funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) ( R01 AG041868 ; R01 AG060737 ; R01 AG050300 ). Support has also come from the Minnesota Population Center, which receives core funding (P2C HD041023) from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development ( NICHD ). Mark Lee was supported by a training grant from the NICHD (T32 HD095134). Haena Lee was supported by an NIA K99 Pathway to Independence award (K99 AG071834).

Funding Information:
The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study is funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) (R01 AG041868; R01 AG060737; R01 AG050300). Support has also come from the Minnesota Population Center, which receives core funding (P2C HD041023) from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Mark Lee was supported by a training grant from the NICHD (T32 HD095134). Haena Lee was supported by an NIA K99 Pathway to Independence award (K99 AG071834).We thank David Van Riper for GIS support and Jonas Helgertz, Carol Roan, and Joe Savard for their work in producing and disseminating the data used in this study.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors

Keywords

Adolescence
Cognition
Cohort study
Late life
Lead exposure
Life course

PubMed: MeSH publication types

Journal Article

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title = "Effect of childhood proximity to lead mining on late life cognition",

abstract = "Introduction: Lead exposure negatively affects cognitive functioning among children. However, there is limited evidence about whether exposure to lead in early life impairs later life cognitive functioning. Methods: Participants in the prospective Wisconsin Longitudinal Study cohort (N = 8583) were linked to the 1940 Census, which was taken when they were young children. We estimated the effect of living near a lead mine in childhood on late life memory/attention and language/executive function in 2004 (mean age 64) and 2011 (mean age 71). Results: Lead-exposed children had significantly steeper memory/attention decline between 2004 and 2011 and worse language/executive function at baseline in late life. These long-term effects of lead were not mediated through adolescent IQ or late life SES and health factors. Discussion: Proximity to lead mining in childhood had long-term effects on late life memory/attention decline and language/executive function, reflecting a possible latent influence of lead exposure. More research is needed to understand behavioral and biological pathways underlying this relationship.",

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KW - Lead exposure

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ER -

Effect of childhood proximity to lead mining on late life cognition

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

PubMed: MeSH publication types

UN SDGs

Access

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