Targeting lead screening: The Ohio Lead Risk Score.

OBJECTIVE Annual blood lead (BPb) screening is recommended for children /=12% of BPb test results >/=10 microg/dL. RESULTS Data from 897 census tracts were available. Higher risk for lead toxicity existed in areas where: 1) >/=55% of houses were built before 1950 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 10.9 [6.1,19.6]); 2) >/=35% of residents were black (AOR: 3.5 [2.0,6. 3]); 3) >/=35% of residents had less than a high school education (AOR: 6.1 [3.6,10.4]); and 4) >/=50% of housing units were renter-occupied (AOR: 3.6 [2.1,6.2]). Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves demonstrated no significant differences after applying the model in a second dataset. CONCLUSIONS Several community characteristics predict risk for lead toxicity in children and may provide a useful approach to focus lead screening, especially in communities where public health resources are limited. The approach described here may also prove helpful in identifying factors within a community associated with other environmental public health hazards for children.