Abstract
Background:
Indoor cooking practices have been associated with high levels of carbon monoxide. Furthermore, smoking is known to compound these risks. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between indoor cooking practices and carbon monoxide levels in rural Nicaragua.
Methods:
Participants were randomly sampled from a village in rural northwestern Nicaragua. This study was approved by the ethical board. Individuals were given a quick survey and vital signs were measured. Faculty members and health science students collected the data and vital signs. Descriptive statistics were computed among predictors for carbon monoxide levels, and linear regression was used to determine the association between predictors (age, gender, cooking stove practices, health-seeking behaviors and smoking behaviors) with the outcome of measured carbon monoxide levels.
Results:
Among the total participants (n=76), 88% reported cooking with a stove only, while 12% reported using a stove with a pipe. The smoking prevalence among participants was 9%. The majority of participants visited a health clinic or outpost within the past year (65%). The mean carbon monoxide level was 3.5% (SD= 2.8). In the multivariable model, carbon monoxide levels were associated with age (B= 0.05; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.07) and gender (B=-1.44; 95% CI: -2.70, -0.17). On average, females had a lower carbon monoxide level by 1.44% compared to males, after adjusting for the other covariates. Additionally, each year of age was associated with a 0.05 positive difference in carbon monoxide levels, after adjusting for all covariates. Having a stove with a pipe compared to a stove without a pipe as well as smoking cigarettes were not statistically significantly associated with carbon monoxide levels.
Conclusions:
Future research should investigate other environmental factors associated with high carbon monoxide levels in this population, in addition to ameliorating high-risk cooking practices that are known to increase carbon monoxide levels.
Disclosures:
None; Sponsored Research-None.
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