Research Article
Assessment of Hair Aluminum, Lead, and Mercury in a Sample of Autistic Egyptian Children: Environmental Risk Factors of Heavy Metals in Autism
Table 5
The relationship between risk factors and lead level among cases.
| Variables | Lead level (mg/kg) | P | Range | Mean ± SD |
| Age group | | | | <6 years | 0.005–17.130 | 2.98 ± 4.12 | 0.811 | ≥6 years | 0.005–21.924 | 3.24 ± 4.52 | Artificial feeding | | | | Positive | 0.313–17.130 | 2.69 ± 3.73 | 0.590 | Negative | 0.005–21.924 | 3.31 ± 4.56 | Pica | | | | Positive | 0.005–21.924 | 3.48 ± 4.92 | 0.507 | Negative | 0.005–16.711 | 2.79 ± 3.68 | Lead pipes | | | | Positive | 0.005–21.924 | 3.29 ± 4.44 | 0.175 | Negative | 0.005–2.557 | 1.04 ± 0.97 | Nearby gasoline stations | | | | Positive | 0.739–16.711 | 7.29 ± 7.41 | 0.047 | Negative | 0.005–21.924 | 2.88 ± 4.02 | Fish consumption per month | | | | None | 0.313–8.750 | 3.26 ± 2.73 |
0.802 | Once per month | 0.005–21.924 | 2.62 ± 4.82 | 2–4 times per month | 0.005–17.130 | 3.49 ± 4.71 | >4 times per month | 0.744–4.396 | 2.02 ± 1.66 |
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Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test.
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