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. 2022 Aug 19;17(8):e0272641.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272641. eCollection 2022.

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

Malshani Lakshika Pathirathna  1 , Buddhini Piumi Pabasara Samarasekara  1 , Charitha Mendis  2 , Chandraratne Mahinda Bandara Dematawewa  3 , Kayako Sekijima  4 , Mieko Sadakata  4 , Yoshiyuki Muramatsu  4 , Naoshi Fujiwara  4
Affiliations

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

Malshani Lakshika Pathirathna et al. PLoS One. .

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.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Selection of subjects for the study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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