Knowledge and Awareness of Mothers about Lead Exposure in Infant Formula: A Cross-Sectional Study in Nalut City, Libya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ijphn.v2i2.6681Keywords:
Awareness, Infant formula, Lead element, Mothers, PollutionAbstract
Lead exposure is a serious problem, especially for infants and young children. Lead can also reach infant formula and complementary food. This study has two aims; the first one focused on measuring lead levels in five types of infant formula that do mothers in the city of Nalut use most commonly: My Boy, Primalac, Bebelac, France Lait, and Silimil. The second aim is to assess mothers’ knowledge and awareness regarding the lead exposure. The study followed a descriptive analytical approach in a cross-sectional study to collect data in the form of questionnaires from 356 mothers aged 20 years and above, who were randomly selected from schools, colleges, and other workplaces; 62 were excluded from the study. From October 2022 to July 2023. Statistical analysis (SPSS) version 26 was used to analyze the data. The results show that all infant formula samples in this study were free from lead after analyses; Delta Company analyzed them using an Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS). 43.5% of the mothers were within the age group of 31-41 years. Most mothers (76.7%) had completed university education, and 39.9% of the participants were teachers. The monthly income for most mothers (74.7%) ranged between 500 and 2000 Libyan dinars. Additionally, it was found that the level of awareness of lead was low in 55% of mothers, medium in 40%, and high in 5%. Finally, there was a significant relationship between the level of education and mothers’ occupation and mothers’ awareness of lead, with p-values of 0.000 and 0.001, respectively.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Amira Saleh Khalifa Bagni, Aminah Issa Masud Aljerbi, Nagi Salah Warreg, Nagi Alhadi Alsadiq Aboras, Marwa Issa Said Jarnaz
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