Cooking Fuels in Lagos, Nigeria: Factors Associated with Household Choice of Kerosene or Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

Evaluating the environmental impact and economic practicability of solar home lighting systems: a roadmap towards clean energy for ecological sustainability

The vitality contribution is a vital cause for defensible monetary improvement and collective success by eradicating poverty. Adopting the solar home lighting system (SHLS) is advantageous not only in social lifestyles but also improves the health of family members and increases home-based small businesses activities due to the inexpensive and continuous supply of energy. The main aims of the study are to scrutinize the most substantial barriers to adopting SHLS in Pakistan. A comprehensive, structured questionnaire appraisal was conducted for sample size with the help of non-probability sampling (purposive sampling), and primary data was collected. The designated hypotheses were evaluated using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). In the present study, we validate the model using a sample of 271 adopters of SHLS contributed as respondents. The results disclose that entire autonomous variables expressively and positively correlated with adopting SHLS dipping energy disasters and improving home-based small business activities. Correspondingly, social media-based awareness of SHLS significantly moderates and positively affects the selected factors in this study. Empirical results indicate that prudently eradicating maintenance barriers with experienced professionals, subsidy in prices from the government, quality base satisfaction of owners, and social media-based awareness are the primary tools to adopt SHLS. Additionally, the outcomes offer valuable suggestions to the competent authorities that introduce encouragement and maintenance policy for adopting SHLS.

Impact of differential occupational LPG exposure on cardiopulmonary indices, liver function, and oxidative stress in Northwestern city of Nigeria

Exposure to hydrocarbon products has been associated with numerous health risks and toxicities. Outdoor or indoor occupational exposure to highly volatile and lipid-soluble hydrocarbons has been linked to impairment of respiratory, cardiovascular, and liver functions. This study is aimed at determining the potential impact of occupational exposure to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in varying work environments. Respiratory symptoms, oxidative stress, cardio-pulmonary, and liver function parameters were assessed among LPG workers in the Kano metropolis, Nigeria. Study subjects were recruited from LPG filling stations and street LPG retail shops. Results of the study showed that the forced vital capacity (FVC) of LPG station workers was significantly lower (2.81 L/min; H = 22.473, p < 0.001) relative to the values recorded among LPG retail shop workers and the controls (3.54 L/min and 4.24 L/min respectively). A similar reduction was seen in the forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV₁) and the forced expiratory flow in 25-75 % of forced vital capacity (FEF_25-75) obtained from the filling station workers (H = 32.722, p < 0.001 & H = 15.655, p <0.001 respectively). Furthermore, exposure to non-combusted LPG increased systolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and serum liver enzymes. Findings from this study revealed that despite the high amount of coarse particulate matter in LPG retail shops, the filling station workers are more susceptible to the impairment of lung function possibly due to the high quantity of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) in the filling station environment.

Modeling factors of biogas technology adoption: a roadmap towards environmental sustainability and green revolution

In a developing country such as Pakistan, adopting biogas technology is a complicated process. The government has taken several steps to address energy issues by increasing biogas facilities. This research seeks to identify the major barriers to the deployment of biogas plants. Respondents were selected using the snowball sampling method. As a result, 79 adopters of biogas plants participated. Utilizing a structured questionnaire, primary data were collected. Hypotheses were evaluated using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Study results demonstrate that all influencing factors are favorably associated with implementing biogas technology, minimizing energy crises, and achieving cost-cutting objectives. In addition, the findings show that properly reducing economic and governmental barriers, encourage farmers to use biogas plants productively and substantially. To build biogas facilities, the government should adopt an economic strategy, owner training, day-to-day operations, and professional technical assistance.

Does Use of Solid Cooking Fuels Increase Family Medical Expenses in China?

China has tried to replace solid fuels with cleaner energy in households. The benefits of fuel switching need to be identified. This article shows that households using solid cooking fuels suffer heavier medical expenses than those using non-solid cooking fuels. After accounting for family characteristics, using solid fuels is associated with 1.4–1.9% increases in medical care. Through the analysis of the impact mechanism, we found that solid cooking fuels harm the health conditions of family members and increase the probability of illness, thereby increasing medical expenses, while the ratio of fuel fees does not change significantly if switching cooking fuels. Furthermore, we explored heterogeneity to better understand the underlying relationship. For urban and higher-educated families with house ownership, the impact of solid fuels on medical expenses was weaker compared to rural and lower-educated households without owned houses. Therefore, considering the costs and benefits, we recommend continuing the conversion from solid fuels to non-solid fuels. In the fuel transition process, it is beneficial to raise residents’ awareness and improve behavior to avoid indoor air pollution.

Fidelity and Adherence to a Liquefied Petroleum Gas Stove and Fuel Intervention during Gestation: The Multi-Country Household Air Pollution Intervention Network (HAPIN) Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Clean cookstove interventions can theoretically reduce exposure to household air pollution and benefit health, but this requires near-exclusive use of these types of stoves with the simultaneous disuse of traditional stoves. Previous cookstove trials have reported low adoption of new stoves and/or extensive continued traditional stove use.

METHODS

The Household Air Pollution Intervention Network (HAPIN) trial randomized 3195 pregnant women in Guatemala, India, Peru, and Rwanda to either a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stove and fuel intervention (n = 1590) or to a control (n = 1605). The intervention consisted of an LPG stove and two initial cylinders of LPG, free fuel refills delivered to the home, and regular behavioral messaging. We assessed intervention fidelity (delivery of the intervention as intended) and adherence (intervention use) through to the end of gestation, as relevant to the first primary health outcome of the trial: infant birth weight. Fidelity and adherence were evaluated using stove and fuel delivery records, questionnaires, visual observations, and temperature-logging stove use monitors (SUMs).

RESULTS

1585 women received the intervention at a median (interquartile range) of 8.0 (5.0-15.0) days post-randomization and had a gestational age of 17.9 (15.4-20.6) weeks. Over 96% reported cooking exclusively with LPG at two follow-up visits during pregnancy. Less than 4% reported ever running out of LPG. Complete abandonment of traditional stove cooking was observed in over 67% of the intervention households. Of the intervention households, 31.4% removed their traditional stoves upon receipt of the intervention; among those who retained traditional stoves, the majority did not use them: traditional stove use was detected via SUMs on a median (interquartile range) of 0.0% (0.0%, 1.6%) of follow-up days (median follow-up = 134 days).

CONCLUSIONS

The fidelity of the HAPIN intervention, as measured by stove installation, timely ongoing fuel deliveries, and behavioral reinforcement as needed, was high. Exclusive use of the intervention during pregnancy was also high.

Drivers of anthropogenic air emissions in Nigeria - A review

This study presents a review of sources and atmospheric levels of anthropogenic air emissions in Nigeria with a view to reviewing the existence or otherwise of national coordination aimed at mitigating the continued increase. According to individual researcher's reports, the atmospheric loading of anthropogenic air pollutants is currently on an alarming increase in Nigeria. Greater concerns are premised on the inadequacy existing emission inventories, continuous assessment, political will and development of policy plans for effective mitigation of these pollutants. The identified key drivers of these emissions include gas flaring, petroleum product refining, thermal plants for electricity generation, transportation, manufacturing sector, land use changes, proliferation of small and medium enterprises, medical wastes incineration, municipal waste disposal, domestic cooking, bush burning and agricultural activities such as land cultivation and animal rearing. Having identified the key sources of anthropogenic air emissions and established the rise in their atmospheric levels through aggregation of literature reports, this study calls for a review of energy policy, adoption of best practices in the management air emissions and solid wastes as well as agriculture and land use pattern which appear to be the rallying points of all identified sources of emission. The study concluded that the adoption of cleaner energy policies and initiatives in energy generation and usage as against pursuit of thermal plants and heavy dependence on fossil fuels will assist to ameliorate the atmospheric loadings of these pollutants.

Determinants of household fuel choices among Nigerian family heads: are there gender-differentiated impacts?

The consensus in the literature holds that female-headed households (FHHs) are more vulnerable to social and economic exclusion than male-headed households (MHHs). This paper investigates the socioeconomic determinants of household cooking fuel choices across MHHs and FHHs, using the rich Nigerian Demographic Health Survey data. Using the exogenous switching treatment effect regression (ESTER) technique, the study is able to unravel differences in socioeconomic effects of gender inequality on cooking fuel choices in Nigeria. The results validate the energy ladder hypothesis in the Nigerian case and show that the choices of dirty fuel (biomass) is more prevalent among the de-jure FHH when compared with the de-facto FHH and MHHs. Also, the probability of biomass-use among MHHs would have fallen by 1.3% if MHHs had similar socioeconomic attributes as the FHHs. In the same vain for FHHs, the probability of kerosene-use would have increased by 2%. The study observed no gender gap in kerosene-use. Thus, the established gender gap in biomass- and kerosene-use would have reduced to 6.7% and 2.8%, respectively, if the de-facto FHHs had same socioeconomic attributes as the de-jures. Considering the traditional gendered household division of labor within the households, de-jure FHHs' energy choices may be due to limited economic opportunities that guarantees cleaner energy options.

Drivers of the Adoption and Exclusive Use of Clean Fuel for Cooking in Sub-Saharan Africa: Learnings and Policy Considerations from Cameroon

Household air pollution (HAP) caused by the combustion of solid fuels for cooking and heating is responsible for almost 5% of the global burden of disease. In response, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended the urgent need to scale the adoption of clean fuels, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). To understand the drivers of the adoption and exclusive use of LPG for cooking, we analysed representative survey data from 3343 peri-urban and rural households in Southwest Cameroon. Surveys used standardised tools to collect information on fuel use, socio-demographic and household characteristics and use of LPG for clean cooking. Most households reported LPG to be clean (95%) and efficient (88%), but many also perceived it to be expensive (69%) and unsafe (64%). Positive perceptions about LPG's safety (OR = 2.49, 95% CI = 2.04, 3.05), cooking speed (OR = 4.31, 95% CI = 2.62, 7.10), affordability (OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.38, 2.09), availability (OR = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.72, 2.73), and its ability to cook most dishes (OR = 3.79, 95% CI = 2.87, 5.01), were significantly associated with exclusive LPG use. Socio-economic status (higher education) and household wealth (higher income) were also associated with a greater likelihood of LPG adoption. Effective strategies to raise awareness around safe use of LPG and interventions to address financial barriers are needed to scale wider adoption and sustained use of LPG for clean cooking, displacing reliance on polluting solid fuels.

The prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis in Nigeria: A nationwide survey among children, adolescents and adults

PURPOSE

Asthma is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and information on the prevalence of asthma in Nigeria is inconsistent. Nationally representative data, important for health planning is unavailable. We aimed to determine the current prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis in Nigeria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional population survey conducted between June 2017 and March 2018 across five cities representing five geo-political zones in Nigeria. Validated screening questionnaires were used to identify persons with asthma and allergic rhinitis respectively. Asthma was defined as physician diagnosed asthma, clinical asthma and by presence of wheeze in the last 12 months respectively. Socio-demographic information, tobacco smoking, sources of household cooking fuel were also obtained.

RESULTS

A total of 20063 participants from 6024 households were screened. The prevalence (95% confidence interval) of physician diagnosed asthma, clinical asthma and wheeze was 2.5% (2.3-2.7%), 6.4% (6.0-6.64%) and 9.0% (8.6-9.4%) respectively. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis was 22.8% (22.2-23.4%). The prevalence of asthma and rhinitis increased with age (prevalence of clinical asthma: 3.1% (2.8-3.4%), 9.8% (9.1-10.5) and 10.7% (9.4%-12.0) among 6-17 years, 18-45 years and >45 years respectively). Prevalence also varied across different cities with the highest prevalence of clinical asthma occurring in Lagos (8.0%) and the lowest in Ilorin (1.1%). The frequency of allergic rhinitis among persons with clinical asthma was 74.7%. Presence of allergic rhinitis, family history of asthma, current smoking and being overweight were independent determinants of current asthma among adults.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis in Nigeria is high with variabilities across regions and age groups. The number of persons with clinical asthma in Nigeria (approximately 13 million) is likely to rank among the highest in Africa. This warrants prioritization by stakeholders and policy makers to actively implement risk reduction measures and increase investment in capacity building for the diagnosis and treatment of asthma and allergic rhinitis.

Asthma management and control in Nigeria: the asthma insight and reality Nigeria (AIRNIG) study

Background: The state of asthma management and asthma control at the population level in Nigeria is unknown. We aimed to determine the level of asthma control and asthma management practices in Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional population-based study of 405 participants with current asthma (physician-diagnosed with use of asthma medication or asthma symptoms in the preceding 12 months). We determined the level of asthma control, self-perception of asthma control, health-care use, missed work/school, and medication use. Results: Asthma was controlled in 6.2% of the participants. Night-time awakening and limitation in activity in the preceding 4 weeks were reported by 77.5% and 78.3%, respectively, 56.3% and 14.1% missed work/school and had emergency room visits, respectively, and 11.6% and 38.8% used inhaled corticosteroid and short-acting beta-2 agonist, respectively, in the preceding year. About a third (34.3%) had spirometry ever performed and 46.7% had training on inhaler technique. Nearly 90% with uncontrolled asthma had self-perception of asthma control between somewhat and completely controlled. Conclusion: The level of asthma control in Nigeria is poor with a high burden of asthma symptoms and limitation in activities. This calls for a broad-based approach for the improvement in asthma care that encompasses education and access to medications.