Assessing exposure to household air pollution in children under five: A scoping review

Kexin Zhu; Marissa N Kawyn; Katarzyna Kordas; Lina Mu; Eun-Hye Yoo; Rachel Seibert; Laura E Smith

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119917

Assessing exposure to household air pollution in children under five: A scoping review

Environ Pollut. 2022 Oct 15:311:119917. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119917. Epub 2022 Aug 10.

Authors

Kexin Zhu¹, Marissa N Kawyn², Katarzyna Kordas², Lina Mu², Eun-Hye Yoo³, Rachel Seibert², Laura E Smith⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA. Electronic address: kexinzhu@buffalo.edu.
² Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
³ Department of Geography, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA.
⁴ Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.

PMID: 35963391
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119917

Abstract

Understanding the differences in the approaches used to assess household air pollution (HAP) is crucial for evaluating HAP-related health effects and interpreting the effectiveness of stove-fuel interventions. Our review aims to understand how exposure to HAP from solid fuels was measured in epidemiological studies in children under five. We conducted a search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Global Health Library, Web of Science, and CINAHL to identify English-language research articles published between January 1, 2000 and April 30, 2022. Two researchers applied the inclusion and exclusion criteria independently. Study region, type of measurement, study design, health outcomes, and other key characteristics were extracted from each article and analyzed descriptively. Our search strategy yielded 2229 records, of which 185 articles were included. A large proportion was published between 2018 and 2022 (42.1%), applied a cross-sectional study design (47.6%), and took place in low- or lower middle-income countries. Most studies (130/185, 70.3%) assessed HAP using questionnaires/interviews, most frequently posing questions on cooking fuel type, followed by household ventilation and cooking location. Cooking frequency/duration and children's location while cooking was less commonly considered. About 28.6% (53/185) used monitors, but the application of personal portable samplers was limited (particulate matter [PM]: 12/40, 30.0%; carbon monoxide [CO]: 13/34, 38.2%). Few studies used biomarkers or modeling approaches to estimate HAP exposure among children under five. More studies that report household and behavioral characteristics and children's location while cooking, apply personal exposure samplers, and perform biomarker analysis are needed to advance our understandings of HAP exposure among infants and young children, who are particularly susceptible to HAP-related health effects.

Keywords: Children under five; Exposure assessment; Household air pollution; Scoping review.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Air Pollution* / analysis
Air Pollution, Indoor* / analysis
Child
Child, Preschool
Cooking
Cross-Sectional Studies
Environmental Exposure / analysis
Humans
Infant
Particulate Matter / analysis
Rural Population

Substances

Particulate Matter