Is biomass fuel smoke exposure associated with anemia in non-pregnant reproductive-aged women?

Abstract

Objectives Sri Lanka is a developing country where the majority of households still rely on firewood for cooking. Furthermore, the prevalence of anemia among reproductive-aged women is of moderate public health importance, according the classification of World Health Organization. Despite the researchers’ ongoing efforts to investigate a link between solid fuel smoke exposure and anemia, the veracity of their findings remains uncertain. As a result, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between biomass fuel smoke exposure and anemia in non-pregnant reproductive-aged women in Sri Lanka. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 382 non-pregnant reproductive-aged (15 to 49 years) women in Central Province, Sri Lanka. Data was collected using a standardized interviewer-administered questionnaire, and exposure was assessed using a breath carbon monoxide monitor. Drabkin’s cynomethhemoglobin technique was used to determine blood hemoglobin concentration. Results The overall prevalence of anemia was 36.1%. The logistic regression model revealed no effect of cooking fuel type on anemic or non-anemic status after adjusting for potential confounding factors (p > 0.05). The multivariate regression analysis also discovered that cooking fuel type had no effect on women’s blood hemoglobin concentration. Conclusions The study results suggest no impact of solid fuel smoke exposure on anemia among non-pregnant, reproductive-aged women. Larger scale prospective cohort studies are recommended. The reasons behind the high prevalence of anemia among reproductive-aged women should be further investigated, and corrective measures should be implemented urgently.