Use of biomass fuel and acute respiratory infections in rural Pakistan
N Z Janjua1, B Mahmood, V K Dharma
1Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Services, BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Naveed.Janjua@bccdc.ca
Insights
Biomass fuel use in homes is linked to more acute respiratory infections (ARI) in young children in Pakistan. Children present in the kitchen during cooking also showed higher ARI rates.
Area of Science:
- Environmental health
- Pediatric respiratory diseases
- Public health in developing countries
Background:
- Indoor air pollution from biomass fuel is a significant health concern in rural Pakistan.
- Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are a leading cause of mortality in children under five globally.
- Understanding the specific risk factors for ARI in vulnerable populations is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between biomass fuel usage for cooking and the incidence of ARI in children aged five years and younger.
- To determine if a child's presence in the kitchen during cooking modifies the risk of ARI.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural Pakistani setting.
- Cluster sampling included 566 children from 379 households.
- Poisson regression analysis assessed the association between fuel type, kitchen presence, and ARI episodes, adjusting for confounders.
Main Results:
- The overall incidence of ARI was 7 episodes per child per year.
- Biomass fuel use was associated with a 2.6-fold increased ARI incidence when children accompanied mothers cooking.
- Even without accompanying mothers, biomass fuel use increased ARI incidence by 1.5-fold.
Conclusions:
- Biomass fuel consumption for domestic cooking significantly increases the risk of ARI in young children.
- A child's proximity to cooking activities, especially when biomass fuels are used, exacerbates ARI risk.
- Public health strategies should address indoor air quality and cooking practices to reduce childhood ARI in Pakistan.
Objective:
To evaluate the association between use of biomass fuel and acute respiratory infection (ARI) episodes in children aged ≤5 years in Pakistan.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Methods:
Cluster sampling was used to select 566 children from 379 households in August-September 2007 in a rural setting in Pakistan. Information was collected on ARI episodes during the previous month and type of fuel used for cooking. Poisson regression with robust variance estimation was used to assess the association between use of biomass fuel and ARI episodes, adjusting for potential confounders.
Results:
The incidence of ARI was 7 episodes/child/year. In the adjusted model, the incidence of ARI was higher in children living in houses where biomass fuel was used and who accompanied their mothers while cooking compared with children living in houses where fossil fuel was used and who did not accompany their mothers while cooking [rate ratio (RR) 2.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5-4.5]. Compared with the latter group, the incidence of ARI was also higher in children living in houses where biomass fuel was used but who did not accompany their mothers during cooking (RR 1.5, 95% CI 1.2-1.9), and in children living in houses where fossil fuel was used and who accompanied their mothers while cooking (RR 1.9, 95% CI 1.3-2.8).
Conclusion:
Use of biomass fuel and presence of a child in the kitchen during cooking were associated with increased incidence of ARI in children aged ≤5 years.
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