MacTavish, R.C.; Rémillard, L.W.; Davison, C.M. Environmental Lead Exposure and Adult Literacy in Myanmar: An Exploratory Study of Potential Associations at the Township Level. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health2018, 15, 1086.
MacTavish, R.C.; Rémillard, L.W.; Davison, C.M. Environmental Lead Exposure and Adult Literacy in Myanmar: An Exploratory Study of Potential Associations at the Township Level. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 1086.
MacTavish, R.C.; Rémillard, L.W.; Davison, C.M. Environmental Lead Exposure and Adult Literacy in Myanmar: An Exploratory Study of Potential Associations at the Township Level. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health2018, 15, 1086.
MacTavish, R.C.; Rémillard, L.W.; Davison, C.M. Environmental Lead Exposure and Adult Literacy in Myanmar: An Exploratory Study of Potential Associations at the Township Level. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 1086.
Abstract
Environmental lead exposure is a population health concern in many low- and middle-income countries. Lead is found throughout Myanmar and prior to the 1940s, the country was the largest producer of lead worldwide. The aim of this study was to examine any potential association between lead mining and adult literacy rates at the level of the 330 townships in Myanmar. Townships were identified as lead or non-lead mining areas and 2015 census data were examined with association being identified using descriptive, analytical and spatial statistical methods. Overall, there does appear to be a significant relationship between lead mining activity and adult literacy levels (P<0.05) among townships with both low access [OR= 2.701 (1.136-6.421)] as well as townships with high access to safe sanitation [OR=18.40 (1.794-188.745)]. LISA cluster maps confirm these findings. This exploratory analysis is a first step in the examination of potential environmental lead exposure and its implications in Myanmar.
Keywords
lead exposure; adult literacy; global health; environmental health; Myanmar
Subject
Public Health and Healthcare, Public, Environmental and Occupational Health
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
