Affordability, Accessibility, and Awareness in the Adoption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas: A Case-Control Study in Rural India

Praveen Kumar, Robert Ethan Dover, Antonia Díaz-Valdés Iriarte, Smitha Rao, Romina Garakani, Sophia Hadingham, Amar Dhand, Rachel G. Tabak, Ross C. Brownson and Gautam N. Yadama
Additional contact information
Praveen Kumar: Boston College School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
Robert Ethan Dover: University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Antonia Díaz-Valdés Iriarte: Society and Health Research Center, Humanities Faculty—Universidad Mayor, Santiago 7750000, Chile
Smitha Rao: Boston College School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
Romina Garakani: Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
Sophia Hadingham: Thom Boston Metro Early Intervention, Amory Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, USA
Amar Dhand: Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Rachel G. Tabak: Prevention Research Center in St. Louis, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
Ross C. Brownson: Prevention Research Center in St. Louis, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
Gautam N. Yadama: Boston College School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 11, 1-14

Abstract: Interventions in the clean cooking sector have focused on improved biomass stoves in a bid to address household air pollution (HAP) in low- and middle-income countries. These initiatives have not delivered adequate health and environmental benefits owing to the less than optimal performance of improved biomass stoves. There is an urgency to transition communities to cleaner cooking systems such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to reduce the prevalence of HAP. Adoption of LPG also has challenges. This case-control cross-sectional study with 510 households examines how affordability, accessibility, and awareness (3As) are associated with LPG adoption in rural poor households of Andhra Pradesh, a state of India. Using binomial logistic regression analyses, the study examines the association of 3As with LPG adoption, adjusting for demographic predictors. Results show disparities in LPG adoption owing to affordability, accessibility, and awareness. Household income is positively associated with LPG adoption. Easy availability of biomass deters households from adopting LPG. Concerns for LPG safety reduces likelihood of LPG adoption. On the other hand, attending awareness campaigns on clean cooking benefits is strongly associated with LPG adoption. Awareness drives, primarily targeted marketing campaigns, could help expand LPG coverage among poorer households. This paper offers insights into the determinants of clean fuel adoption with implications for resource-poor settings across the world to advance energy justice and address energy poverty.

Keywords: household air pollution; energy poverty; cleaner cooking; LPG; adoption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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