Need to Vent? Assessing the Impact of Ventilation on Health in Rural Indian Households

Abstract

Indoor air pollution (IAP) from cooking with biomass fuels in poorly ventilated conditions causes 2 million premature deaths per year. In response, some of the world’s leading development organizations have proposed using household ventilation to reduce exposure to indoor air pollution. However, the effectiveness of ventilation strategies in reducing exposure and improving respiratory health is still unclear. This study uses survey data collected from rural households in Northern India to investigate the relationship between different ventilation measures and respiratory health. Using propensity score matching analyses, the study showed that ventilation measures had little effect on improved respiratory symptoms among household members. The findings indicate that improving household ventilation may not be an effective or healthy alternative to using improved cook stoves or cleaner fuels.