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Perfluorooctanoate Exposure in a Highly Exposed Community and Parent and Teacher Reports of Behaviour in 6–12‐Year‐Old Children
Author(s) -
Stein Cheryl R.,
Savitz David A.,
Bellinger David C.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
paediatric and perinatal epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.667
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3016
pISSN - 0269-5022
DOI - 10.1111/ppe.12097
Subject(s) - medicine , quartile , confidence interval , affect (linguistics) , adverse effect , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , rating scale , demography , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , psychology , communication , sociology
Background In toxicology studies, perfluorinated compounds affect fetal growth, development, viability, and postnatal growth. There are limited epidemiologic studies on child development. Methods We recruited and evaluated 321 children who participated in the C 8 H ealth P roject, a 2005–06 survey in a mid‐Ohio Valley community highly exposed to perfluorooctanoate ( PFOA ) through contaminated drinking water. We examined associations between measured childhood PFOA serum concentration and mother and teacher reports of executive function ( B ehaviour R ating I nventory of E xecutive F unction), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD )‐like behaviour ( C onner's ADHD D iagnostic and S tatistical M anual of M ental D isorders IV S cales), and behavioural problems ( B ehaviour A ssessment S ystem for C hildren) assessed 3 to 4 years later at ages 6–12 years. Results Overall, neither reports from mothers nor teachers provided clear associations between exposure and child behaviour. Mother reports, however, did suggest favourable associations between exposure and behaviour among boys and adverse associations among girls. On the composite scale from the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function ( n = 318), PFOA exposure had a favourable association among boys (highest vs. lowest quartile β = −6.39; 95% confidence interval [ CI ] −11.43, −1.35) and an adverse association among girls (highest vs. lowest quartile β = 4.42; 95% CI −0.03, 8.87; interaction P = 0.01). Teacher reports ( n = 189) replicated some, but not all of the sex interactions observed in mothers' reports. Conclusions Aggregate results did not suggest adverse effects of PFOA on behaviour, but sex‐specific results raise the possibility of differing patterns by sex. Results are not consistent between mothers' and teachers' reports. Effect modification by sex may warrant further investigation.