Solid Fuel Use and the Progression of Multimorbidity in Middle-Aged Chinese Participants: A Prospective Cohort Study

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the association of solid fuel use for cooking and heating with the progression of multimorbidity. Methods: A total of 5,437 participants from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were included. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations of the independent and joint effects of solid fuel use for cooking and heating with the progression of multimorbidity. Results: The proportion of participants reporting solid fuel use for both cooking and heating was 59.0% at baseline. Solid fuel use for both cooking and heating was associated with the progression of multimorbidity (adjusted OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.19-1.70), compared with clean fuel use for both. Conclusion: Solid fuel use for cooking and heating play an important role in the progression of multimorbidity. Therefore, solid fuel reduction should be considered in developing multimorbidity control and prevention programmes.