Residential energy transition and chronic respiratory diseases

Abstract

Obtaining clean energy is of prime importance for planetary health and sustainable development. We aimed to assess the association between residential energy transition and the risk of chronic respiratory diseases. Using data from the Global Health Observatory and Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study, we delineated the spatial distribution and temporal trends of the population using clean fuels for cooking at a global scale. In the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, we performed rigorous and well-structured multistage analyses incorporating both cross-sectional and prospective data analyses to examine the associations between solid fuel use, residential energy transition, duration of solid fuel use, and the risk of chronic respiratory diseases. Despite great progress, huge disparities in access to clean energy persist globally. Residential energy transition was associated with a lower risk of chronic respiratory diseases. In the period of 2011–2013, compared with persistent solid fuel users, both participants who switched from solid to clean fuels (adjusted risk ratio [RR] 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62–0.98) and persistent clean fuel users (adjusted RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.57–0.89) had significantly lower risk of chronic respiratory diseases (p < 0.001 for trend). Consistent associations were observed in the period of 2011–2015 and 2011–2018. Household energy transition from solid to clean fuels could reduce the risk of chronic respiratory diseases. This is a valuable lesson for policy-makers and the general public to accelerate energy switching to alleviate the burden of chronic respiratory diseases and achieve health benefits, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.