B3939 - Mapping disparities in childhood lead exposure in England - 09/12/2021

B number: 
B3939
Principal applicant name: 
Ludovica Gazze | University of Warwick
Co-applicants: 
Francis DiTraglia
Title of project: 
Mapping disparities in childhood lead exposure in England
Proposal summary: 

Our project aims to estimate the prevalence and distribution, in terms of geography and socioeconomic status, of lead exposure in England and its costs in terms of children’s wellbeing and development. While scholars and practitioners believe lead exposure to be widespread in England, a dearth of data on this issue has so far hindered policymaking. This proposal seeks funding for the initial project stage - a secondary data analysis, building on international evidence to project exposure burden in England, based on the existing data and the piloting of surveys to collect primary data to map exposure sources and prevalence.

Impact of research: 
This project is intended to produce several short-term and long-term outcomes, creating a rigorous public debate between scholars, policymakers, and practitioners on practical policy implications for childhood lead screening in England and the UK. The project will result in a creation of an unprecedented comprehensive database mapping local prevalence of lead exposure in children in England. These maps will allow us to communicate our findings to both policymakers and the general audience. More broadly, addressing our long-term research questions will offer practical guidance for practitioners and policymakers in designing and targeting lead poisoning prevention programs including childhood lead screening and remediation interventions. These results could serve as a starting point for a cost-benefit analysis of a childhood lead screening program. The end goal of our long-term research agenda is to inform changes in childhood lead exposure surveillance and prevention policy in the UK. To this end, we plan to continue to engage with stakeholders.
Date proposal received: 
Friday, 26 November, 2021
Date proposal approved: 
Monday, 29 November, 2021
Keywords: 
Health Economics, Environmental exposure, Statistical methods, Environment - enviromental exposure, pollution