Lead exposure and its impact on the health of adolescents: The birth to twenty cohort

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Johannesburg, 2012Lead exposure continues to be a major public health issue in South Africa, and other low and middle income countries. Environmental lead exposure has been associated with detrimental health effects in children. The aim of this thesis was to assess the prevalence of lead exposure and its association with various risk factors, its effects on puberty and socio-behavioural adjustment in adolescentsIT201