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Time budgets of infants for exposure assessment: a methodological study
P Malhotra1, S Saksena, V Joshi
1Tata Energy Research Institute, New Delhi, India. preetim@teri.res.in
Insights
Exposure to indoor air pollution from cooking fuels significantly impacts infant health. Infants spent more time in non-cooking areas, regardless of fuel type, suggesting other factors influence exposure to respirable suspended particles (RSPs) and carbon monoxide (CO).
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Indoor air pollution from household cooking fuels is a major environmental health concern, particularly in developing regions.
- Acute respiratory infection (ARI) in infants is a significant cause of mortality, with indoor air pollution suspected as a key risk factor.
- Accurate exposure assessment is crucial for understanding the link between indoor air pollution and infant ARI.
Purpose of the Study:
- To objectively test the hypothesis that exposure to pollutants from low-grade cooking fuels is a significant risk factor for ARI in infants (0-12 months).
- To estimate daily integrated exposure of infants and mothers to respirable suspended particles (RSPs) and carbon monoxide (CO) during the winter season.
- To apply the microenvironment approach for collecting time budget data to assess indoor air pollution exposure.
Main Methods:
- The microenvironment approach was used, dividing the day into distinct zones based on infant and mother mobility patterns.
- Time budgets were prepared to determine the duration spent in each microenvironment.
- Two measurement methods (recall and direct observation) were compared for time spent cooking and near the stove, showing low correlation.
Main Results:
- Infants in kerosene-using households spent 68% of cooking time near the stove, compared to 44% in wood-using households (recall method: 84% vs. 63%).
- Infants consistently spent more time in indoor non-cooking microenvironments, irrespective of fuel type or slum setting.
- Limited correlation was found between recall and direct observation methods for time spent near the stove.
Conclusions:
- The microenvironment approach provides a framework for assessing integrated daily exposure to indoor air pollutants.
- Infant proximity to cooking stoves varies by fuel type, but non-cooking indoor environments are dominant.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the relationship between cooking fuel exposure, microenvironment use, and infant ARI.
Abstract:
The paper presents the application of the microenvironment approach for collection of time budget data to assess exposure of people to indoor air pollution. The aim of the study was to objectively test the hypothesis that exposure to pollutants from combustion of low-grade cooking fuels is a significant risk factor for acute respiratory infection (ARI) in infants (0-12 months). One of the specific objectives of this study was to estimate, in the winter season, the integrated daily exposure of infants and their mothers to respirable suspended particles (RSPs) and carbon monoxide (CO). The daily-integrated exposure was estimated by splitting the day into parts called microenvironments identified by the mobility patterns of the infants and mothers. These were so determined such that the spatial variation in the concentration of pollutants during these microenvironments is believed to be relatively insignificant under the given conditions, based on results of past studies and subjective judgement. The time spent in these microenvironments by the infants and mothers was determined by preparing time budgets. Very little correlation was found between the two methods of measurement (recall method and direct observation using a stopwatch) for the total time spent in cooking or time actually near the stove. It was observed that infants in houses using kerosene were near the stove for a duration that is 68% of the total cooking duration, while for infants in wood-using households this duration is only 44% (on the basis of the recall method, these numbers are 84% and 63% respectively). The infants spent more time in the indoor noncooking microenvironment irrespective of the fuel and slum type.