Prevalence of Cooking-Related Burns in Peri-Urban Cameroon, Ghana, and Kenya by Fuel Type

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Over 70% of Africans rely on polluting sources of energy for cooking. There is a paucity of epidemiological evidence on the burden of cooking fuel–related burns (CRBs) among women and children in low- and middle-income countries. OBJECTIVES: We estimated the prevalence of CRBs and association with main fuel choice among primary cooks and children 0–5 years of age in peri-urban areas in Kenya, Cameroon, and Ghana. METHODS: We conducted a multisite cross-sectional survey in Mbalmayo, Cameroon; Obuasi, Ghana; and Eldoret, Kenya. Standardized question naires were administered between April 2019 and February 2020 to primary cooks. Questions included sociodemographic characteristics, primary fuel choice, and experience of burns within the previous 12 months. Overall and site-specific prevalence of CRBs were calculated, and their associa tion with primary cooking fuel type was determined. RESULTS: Overall, 128 out of 1,240 primary cooks [10.3%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 8.7, 12.2] reported at least one CRB during the previous 12 months. Most primary cooks had been burned multiple times (mediannumber ofburns=3, interquartile range: 2–5). CRB prevalence among primary cooks in Mbalmayo (23.3%, 95% CI: 19.4, 27.5) was significantly higher than in Obuasi (3.3%, 95% CI: 1.7, 5.8) and Eldoret (3.2%, 95% CI: 1.7, 5.3). Among children, the overall prevalence of CRBs was 5.1% (95% CI: 3.7, 6.9; n=42) and was comparable across sites: Mbalmayo, 6.5% (95% CI: 4.0, 10.0); Eldoret, 4.7% (95% CI: 2.5, 7.9); and Obuasi, 3.9% (95% CI: 1.9, 7.1). Overall, there was no significant difference in CRB prevalence among liquefied petroleum gas primary users compared with exclusive biomass users considering primary cooks (11.8% vs. 9.2%, p=0:17) and chil dren (4.4% vs. 5.5%, p=0:95). Older age [adjusted odds ratio ðaORÞ=0:6; 95% CI: 0.3, 0.9; p=0:03] and higher income (aOR=0:3; 95% CI: 0.2, 0.5; p<0:01) significantly lowered odds of CRBs. CONCLUSIONS: CRB prevalence among primary cooks between communities was high but was not related to the main choice of fuel for cooking across the selected study sites. Older age and higher income significantly reduced the risk of CRBs among both primary cooks and their children.