Household Fuel Use for Heating and Cooking and Respiratory Health in a Low-Income, South African Coastal Community

Sikhumbuzo Archibald Buthelezi, Thandi Kapwata, Bianca Wernecke, Candice Webster, Angela Mathee and Caradee Yael Wright
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Sikhumbuzo Archibald Buthelezi: Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
Thandi Kapwata: Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
Bianca Wernecke: Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
Candice Webster: University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
Angela Mathee: Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
Caradee Yael Wright: Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: In low-income communities, non-electric fuel sources are typically the main cause of Household Air Pollution (HAP). In Umlazi, a South African coastal, informal settlement, households use electric- and non-electric (coal, wood, gas, paraffin) energy sources for cooking and heating. The study aimed to determine whether respiratory ill health status varied by fuel type use. Using a questionnaire, respondents reported on a range of socio-demographic characteristics, dwelling type, energy use for cooking and heating as well as respiratory health symptoms. Multivariate Poisson regression was used to obtain the adjusted Odds Ratios (ORs) for the effects of electric and non-electric energy sources on prevalence of respiratory infections considering potential confounding factors. Among the 245 households that participated, Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTI, n = 27) were prevalent in respondents who used non-electric sources compared to electric sources for heating and cooking. There were statistically significant effects of non-electric sources for heating (adjusted OR = 3.6, 95% CI (confidence interval): 1.2–10.1, p < 0.05) and cooking (adjusted OR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.1–7.9, p < 0.05) on prevalence of URTIs. There was a statistically significant effect of electric sources for heating (adjusted OR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.1–6.4, p < 0.05) on prevalence of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (LRTIs) but no evidence for relations between non-electric sources for heating and LRTIs, and electric or non-electric fuel use type for cooking and LRTIs. Energy switching, mixing or stacking could be common in these households that likely made use of multiple energy sources during a typical month depending on access to and availability of electricity, funds to pay for the energy source as well as other socio-economic or cultural factors. The importance of behaviour and social determinants of health in relation to HAP is emphasized.

Keywords: respiratory health; indoor air pollution; household air pollution; South Africa; environmental health; respiratory tract infection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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