Eye discomfort, headache and back pain among Mayan Guatemalan women taking part in a randomised stove intervention trial

Abstract

Background: Indoor air pollution (IAP) from combustion of biomass fuels represents a global health problem, estimated to cause 1.6 million premature deaths annually. Aims: RESPIRE (Randomised Exposure Study of Pollution Indoors and Respiratory Effects) Guatemala is the first randomised controlled trial ever performed on health effects from solid fuel use. Its goal is to assess the effect of improved stoves (planchas) on exposure and health outcomes in a rural population reliant on wood fuel. Methods: Questions about symptoms were asked at baseline and periodically after the intervention, to an initial group of 504 women (259 randomly assigned to planchas (mean (standard deviation) age 27.4 (7.2) years) and 245 using traditional open fires (28.1 (7.1) years)). Levels of carbon monoxide (CO) in exhaled breath, a biomarker of recent exposure to air pollution from biomass combustion, were measured at each visit. In addition to reducing IAP levels, the plancha may also have a positive health effect by changing the working posture to an upright position. Results: A high prevalence of eye discomfort, headache and backache was found. The odds of having sore eyes and headache were substantially reduced in the plancha group relative to the group using open fires for the follow-up period (odds ratio (OR) 0.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.11 to 0.29 and (OR) 0.63, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.94, respectively). Median CO in breath among women in the intervention trial was significantly lower than controls. Conclusion: In addition to reducing discomfort for women, tangible improvements in symptoms experienced by a substantial proportion of women may help to gain acceptance and wider use of planchas.

Portable stove use is associated with lower lung cancer mortality risk in lifetime smoky coal users

“…In China specifically, it has been determined that broad health risk education methods are insufficient to reduce indoor air pollution exposures from cooking and heating and that resources should be used to propagate infrastructure changes to reduce the exposures (Jin et al, 2006); stove improvements are, therefore, crucial for reducing the negative health effects associated with in-home fuel combustion. Stove improvements have been shown to reduce the short-term negative health effects associated with fuel combustion exposures, such as acute respiratory infections in children in India (Akunne et al, 2006) and eye irritation and headaches in women in Guatemala (Diaz et al, 2007), by reducing indoor air pollution (Naeher et al, 2000). Previous analyses of the Xuanwei cohort strongly suggest that CIs ¼ confidence intervals; HRs ¼ hazard ratios.…”

Up in Smoke: The Influence of Household Behavior on the Long-Run Impact of Improved Cooking Stoves

“…Following Diaz et al (2007), we measured Carbon Monoxide (CO) in exhaled breath to measure smoke inhalation. As discussed in the data section, CO is a biomarker of recent exposure to air pollution from biomass combustion, and therefore it can be used to proxy an individual's personal exposure to smoke from cooking stoves.…”

Air quality, respiratory health and wood use for women converting from low- to high-efficiency stoves in rural Kenya

“…Notably, Guatemalan women reported fewer headache and less eye discomfort after installation of improved wood burning stoves [31] while the use of cleaner household fuels coincided with a 31% decrease in childhood mortality in subSaharan Africa [32]. In this study, we documented improvements in self-reported respiratory health of women and children, and the respiratory health of women as determined by spirometry readings, after adoption of more efficient stoves.…”