Association between choice of cooking fuel and peak expiratory flow rate among rural women in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Background: Long-term exposure to indoor air pollution from biomass fuel combustion is a risk factor for respiratory disease, which is an increasingly prevalent contributor to morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries. This study evaluated the association between household fuel use and the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) of rural-dwelling women in selected communities of the Niger Delta. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including 321 non-smoking women aged 18 years and older. Questionnaires were used to obtain data on predominant fuel used and a brief medical history. Women with current respiratory symptoms were excluded. Fuel use was classified into three categories: biomass fuels (BMF), such as wood, animal dung and coal, kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The PEFR was measured with an Omron peak flow meter using standard protocols and was abnormal if it was less than 80% of predicted value based on age and height. Results: The mean age of the 321 women was 38.5±14.2 years. The biomass fuel users had significantly lower PEFR (353.9±104.4) compared to kerosene users (376.2±70.1) and LPG users (393.6± 93.3) (p=0.030). The overall prevalence of abnormal PEFR was 22.4%. The PEFR was abnormal in more BMF users (28%) than kerosene users (13.4%) and LPG users (9.4%) (p=0.005). The PEFR of women who used LPG was 20.8 l/min higher than BMF users (p=0.012). The users of BMF were 5.8 times more likely to have abnormal PEFR than LPG users (OR 5.8, 95% CI 1.62, 20.52, p=0.007). Conclusion: In this population, the use of biomass fuel was significantly associated with abnormal PEFR. This needs to be further explored in this population with a larger study using more objective measures, such as spirometry testing, to guide policies for the implementation of preventive strategies to protect vulnerable women from chronic obstructive airway disease.