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Comparative study on respiratory function among rural women using biomass fuel and non-biomass fuel: evidence of a cross-sectional survey in Bangladesh

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Abstract

Respiratory diseases’ mortality and morbidity have been a major public health burden primarily attributed to widespread exposure to indoor and outdoor pollutants in the environment. The study conducted among 510 Bangladeshi women residing in the northeastern zone of the Sylhet division from semi-urban and rural settings to compare the biomass fuel users (N = 255) with the non-biomass users (N = 255). It has been observed that all the symptoms had a higher prevalence among the women who were exposed to biomass fuel compared with those exposed to clean gas fuel. Women exposed to biomass group reported frequent cough and phlegm production episodes during a 3-month timeline before the survey period which was found statistically higher (p < 0.001) compared with that of the clean gas fuel group. Moreover, the use of biomass fuel has been associated with a significant decrease in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). Appropriate strategies from stakeholders and government authorities in disseminating health hazards from biomass fuel along with supporting the community by providing alternative energy sources for cooking can largely impact people’s lives.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP-2019/121), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

This work was funded by Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP-2019/121), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine, Mohakhali, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Rejwana Haque Pial

  2. Respiratory and Enteric Infections Department, Infectious Disease Division, International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, 68 Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sarani, Mohakhali, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Mohammad Rashidul Hashan

  3. Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

    Sherief Ghozy

  4. Neurosurgery Department, El Sheikh Zayed Specialized Hospital, Giza, Egypt

    Sherief Ghozy

  5. Global Medical Research Initiative, Al Bukayriyah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia

    Mahmoud Dibas

  6. Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt

    Amr Ehab El-Qushayri

  7. Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Mohamed M. Abdel-Daim

  8. Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt

    Mohamed M. Abdel-Daim

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  1. Rejwana Haque Pial
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Contributions

RHP conceptualized the study. RHP designed the study and acquired the data. RHP and MD conducted the data analysis. RHP, MRH, SG, and AEE interpreted the data. RHP, MRH, and SG prepared the first draft. RHP, MRH, SG, MD, AEE, and MMA participated in critical revision of the manuscript and contributed to its intellectual improvement. MMA supervised the study. All authors went through the final draft and approved it for submission.

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Correspondence to Sherief Ghozy or Mohamed M. Abdel-Daim.

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This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of the National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), Dhaka, Bangladesh.

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Pial, R.H., Hashan, M.R., Ghozy, S. et al. Comparative study on respiratory function among rural women using biomass fuel and non-biomass fuel: evidence of a cross-sectional survey in Bangladesh. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 24039–24047 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08668-6

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