Impact of smokeless cooking fuel use on health status of women in a rural setting of eastern India. Issue 5 (4th May 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sahoo, Krushna Chandra; Dash, Girish Chandra; Panda, Subhashree; Kshatri, Jaya singh; Uddin, Azhar; Pattnaik, Matrujyoti; Sahoo, Rakesh Kumar; Diwedi, Rinshu; Palo, Subrat Kumar; Bhattacharya, Debdutta; Pati, Sanghamitra
• Is Part Of: International journal of environmental health research. Volume 33:Issue 5(2023)
• Page Start: 464
• Page End: 472
• Publication Date: 2023-05-04
• Subjects: Sustainable development goals -- smokeless-Cooking-Fuel -- liquefied petroleum gas -- wellbeing -- quality of life -- rural women; Environmental health -- Periodicals; 363.7
• DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2022.2035324
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-3123

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The sustainable development goals (SDG 7.1) reinforce to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, safe and renewable energy. In India, women are typically responsible for cooking and are most vulnerable to household air contaminants. We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional comparative study in Odisha, India between exclusive LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) users and non-LPG users. A total of 900 women, 450 from each group, were randomly selected. The LPG-users had a better predictor of physical, psychological, social, and environmental wellbeing than non-LPG users. We found the ophthalmic disorders (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.87, 95% CI 1.16–7.10, p = .023), asthma (AOR 2.05, 95% CI 1.15–3.65, p = .015), and ALRI (acute lower respiratory infections) (AOR 9.19, 95% CI 2.06–40.96, p < .004) were significantly higher in non-LPG users in comparison to LPG users. Access to smokeless cooking fuel will improve women's quality of life by eliminating the consumption of biofuel and thereby providing a healthier cooking environment.