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Does use of solid fuels for cooking contribute to childhood stunting? A longitudinal data analysis from low- and middle-income countries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2020

Ashish Kumar Upadhyay Open the ORCID record for Ashish Kumar Upadhyay [Opens in a new window] ,
Swati Srivastava  and
Vinod Mishra
Ashish Kumar Upadhyay*
Affiliation:
International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India
Swati Srivastava
Affiliation:
International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India
Vinod Mishra
Affiliation:
United Nations Population Division, New York, USA
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Using longitudinal data from the first and second waves of the Young Lives Study (YLS) in Ethiopia, India (Andhra Pradesh), Peru and Vietnam, conducted in 2002 and 2006–07, and a repeated measures mixed model, this study examined the effect of the use of solid fuels for cooking on childhood stunting among children aged 5–76 months. The analysis showed that in all four populations, the average height-for-age z-score (HAZ score) was much lower among children living in households using solid fuels than among children in households using cleaner fuels for cooking. The average HAZ score was lower among children living in households that used solid fuels in both waves of the YLS compared with those whose households used solid fuels in only one of the two waves. A significant reduction was noted in the average HAZ score between the two waves in all countries except Ethiopia. The results of the repeated measures mixed model suggest that household use of solid fuels was significantly associated with lower HAZ scores in all populations, except Ethiopia. The findings also indicate that the reduction in the HAZ scores between waves 1 and 2 was not statistically significant by the type of cooking fuel after controlling for potential confounding factors. The study provides further evidence of a strong association between household use of solid fuels and childhood stunting in low- and middle-income countries using longitudinal data. The findings highlight the need to reduce exposure to smoke from the combustion of solid fuels, by shifting households to cleaner cooking fuels, where feasible, by providing cooking stoves with improved combustion of solid fuels and improved venting, and by designing and implementing public information campaigns to inform people about the health risks of exposure to cooking smoke.

Keywords

Solid fuelsHeight-for-age z-scoreYoung Lives Study
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 53 , Issue 1 , January 2021 , pp. 121 - 136
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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