Indoor Biomass Fuel Smoke Exposure as a Risk Factor for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) for Women of Rural Bangladesh

Abstract

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is of public health importance. Indoor biomass (wood, cowdung etc) smoke exposure from cooking is associated with respiratory conditions and may predispose to COPD. The objective of this study was to evaluate the risk of biomass smoke exposure and COPD.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at a rural setting of Bangladesh. Rural women over 40 years and exposed to biomass fuel, liquid petroleum gas or natural gas smoke were evaluated using a questionnaire and their lung function was assessed using a portable spirometry.Results: The overall prevalence of COPD in the rural women was 20.4%. It was significantly higher in women using biomass fuel for cooking than in those using natural gas/LPG (p<0.001). Biomass smoke exposure was found significantly associated with COPD (OR= 3.385, CI=1.60-7.13, p<0.05). Lung function was significantly reduced (p<0.05) among women who were using biomass than those using natural gas/LPG.Conclusion: Biomass fuel smoke exposure is a risk factor for development of COPD.Chatt Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.15 (1); Jan 2016; Page 8-11

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Bangladesh: A Systematic Review

“…All of the nine eligible studies were published in 2013 and onwards. Five of these studies were published in international, peer-reviewed journals [17-21] and three were published in national journals [22-24]. Of these studies, three included respondents from both urban and rural areas [17-19].…”

“…Of these studies, three included respondents from both urban and rural areas [17-19]. However, four studies were conducted among the urban population [20-21,24-25] and two studies involved participants only from rural settings [22-23]. Seven studies adopted a cross-sectional study design to identify the prevalence and risk factors of COPD [17,19-24].…”

“…Six out of all nine studies collected data from both men and women [17-18,20,23-25]. The minimum age requirement was 40 years for three studies [17-18,22], 15 years for two studies [19,25], and 35 years for the remaining one study [24]. However, the maximum age limit was specified in only one study that was 65 years [25].…”

“…However, the maximum age limit was specified in only one study that was 65 years [25]. COPD alone was the outcome variable in five of these studies [17-18,20,22,24], whereas rest of the studies focused on other diseases (asthma, restrictive and combined pulmonary disease, and NCDs) and symptoms along with COPD [19,21,23,25].…”

Association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and occupational exposures: A hospital based quantitative cross-sectional study among the Bangladeshi population

“…Although, wealth of evidences had supported the association between COPD and occupational exposures worldwide [7,8], such study has not yet been established to that extent in Bangladesh. Only COPD status has been observed among the transport workers of Dhaka city [15], and rural women who were exposed to indoor biomass fuel [16,17]. This study, for the first time so far, attempted to determine the association between COPD and occupational exposures among the Bangladeshi population to a large extent.…”