Connecticut

In Connecticut, lead poisoning disproportionately affects children of color. Black and Hispanic children are more likely to have elevated blood lead levels (BLLs), defined as equal to or greater than 5 micrograms per deciliter, than White and non-Hispanic children. In 2016, elevated BLLs for Black children were 4.8%, compared to 2.0% among White children, respectively, and 3.5% among Hispanic children and 2.4% among non-Hispanic children, respectively.

To address this disparity, the Connecticut Department of Public Health Lead and Healthy Homes Program developed individualized media campaigns that focused on raising awareness of lead poisoning and increasing the screening rates among Black and Hispanic populations.

In 2016, the Lead and Healthy Homes Program partnered with the Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission to conduct annual media campaigns targeting the Hispanic population. In cities and towns with a large Hispanic population, billboards, bus shelter ads, social media, radio, and television were used to promote lead poisoning awareness. The ads in Spanish and English directed the audience to call the Connecticut Lead and Healthy Homes Program or visit the website (www.ct.gov/plomo), available in Spanish, for information on health effects, when to have your child screened, and how to properly clean lead paint hazards.

Since the campaign started, the prevalence of lead poisoning in Hispanic children has decreased in Connecticut. Though the downward trend started in 2013, the decline in 2016 and 2017 exceeded previous years. The percentage of elevated BLLs in Hispanic children was 3.5% in 2016 and decreased to 2.7% in 2017. The percentage of elevated BLLs in Black children dropped from 4.8% in 2016 to 3.9% in 2017. Although the decrease in lead levels for the Black population is not as large as the decrease in Hispanic children, the downward trend is promising. The media campaign will continue, using additional resources to reach specific audiences on social media and internet media advertising.

Funding for this work was made possible in part by EH17-1701 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the CDC; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.