Publication:

Relationship between intelligence quotient and water fluoride levels of school-going children aged 6-12 years in and around Mahbubnagar district – a cross-sectional study

Background Excess fluoride exposure during childhood leads to dental fluorosis and, according to some studies, has also been associated with lower neurocognitive test scores. This study assessed the intelligence quotient (IQ) of school-going children aged with aged with 6-12 years in villages of the Mahbubnagar district with varying levels of fluoride in drinking water.

Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among the permanent residents of Mahbubnagar district, Telangana state, India. A total of 480 government school-going children aged 6-12 years were selected through stratified random sampling from 3 different areas with varying levels of naturally occurring fluoride in drinking water. The IQ levels of the children were assessed using Ravans standard progressive matrices test (1991, edition).

Results The mean IQ levels were higher in villages with low fluoride concentration in drinking water (15.26) compared to those with medium fluoride content (12.91) and high fluoride content (9.10). A statistically significant association was observed (p<0.01).

Conclusions The overall IQ levels of children exposed to high fluoride concentration were significantly lower than those in low-fluoride areas, indicating that high levels of fluoride in drinking water adversely affect children’s intelligence.