Biomass Solid Fuel Usage and Incidences of Respiratory Symptoms Amongst Women in Households That Have Adopted ICS in Nakuru Town East Suburbs

One of the main causes of home air pollution, especially in developing nations, is the use of solid biomass fuels (wood, crop leftovers, animal dung, and coal) for cooking and heating. This has serious negative impacts on respiratory health. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, asthma, and acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) are all closely associated with long-term exposure to high amounts of particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) from these fuels. The purpose of this study was to examine the Influence of biomass solid fuel usage on incidences of respiratory symptoms amongst women adopters of ICS in Nakuru town East suburbs. The study was informed by energy stacking and theory of subsidy. The study utilized mixed method research design. Data were collected from 315 female heads from of households that had adopted ICS, two FGD and key informant interviews. Sampling techniques utilized were multi-stage cluster sampling for the women heads of households while purposive sampling was used to select KIIs and participants in the FGDs. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Qualitative data was content analyzed. Study findings revealed that 67.8% of households relied on charcoal, while 54.9% used firewood, often alongside ICS. Households that predominantly used firewood reported the highest incidence of respiratory symptoms, highlighting the persistent dangers of solid fuel combustion. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that women in firewood-dependent households were 2.43 times more likely to experience respiratory related symptoms than those using charcoal.