Indoor Air Pollution and Respiratory Diseases in Rural Areas of North and Northeast Brazil

Abstract

Indoor pollution is a risk factor for several diseases, especially those affecting the respiratory system. In Brazil, the use of solid fuels for cooking is still very present. The smoke emitted in the environment by the burning of solid fuels is causing such pollution, and the poorest families are the most affected. The objective of this research was to study the association between respiratory diseases (bronchitis and asthma) and the use of solid fuels among inhabitants of rural areas of the North and Northeast regions of Brazil. The database used was the 2008 National Household Sample Survey (PNAD/IBGE), and the analyzes involved estimations through the Logistic regression. The results showed that women exposed to indoor pollution had a higher odd of having bronchitis or asthma. This effect was not significant in the case of men. This work indicates a path for the implementation of public policies aimed at raising public awareness about the health damages caused by the use of solid fuels and facilitating access to a cleaner source of energy for the low-income population.