Unclean Cooking Fuel Use and Health Outcomes in Older Adults: Potential Mechanisms, Public Health Implications, and Future Directions

Background Unclean cooking fuels (ie, polluting fuels including kerosene/paraffin, and solid fuels) are a major contributor to diseases and mortality, specifically in low- and middle-income countries. Methods This review aimed to identify potential mechanisms, public health implications, and future directions of unclean cooking fuel use and health outcomes in older adults. Results There is an expanding body of literature to demonstrate associations between unclean cooking fuel use and multiple mental and physical health outcomes in older adults. Two key mechanisms likely driving such associations include inflammation and oxidative stress. Conclusions Considering that inflammation and oxidative stress have been implicated in multiple other health conditions (eg, arthritis and osteoporosis) in addition to those investigated to date on this topic it would be prudent to continue investigation of unclean cooking fuel use and with yet to be studied health outcomes. Moreover, future research is indeed now required to identify pathways to eliminating unclean cooking fuel globally to better the health of an aging global population and to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 7.

Automated summary

Unclean cooking fuel use is associated with multiple mental and physical health outcomes in older adults, likely driven by inflammation and oxidative stress. Further research is needed to understand the pathways and eliminate the use of unclean cooking fuels globally.