Association of biomass fuel use with the risk of vision impairment among Chinese older adults: a cohort study

Mar 14, 2023Environmental science and pollution research international

Using biomass fuel linked to higher risk of vision problems in older Chinese adults

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Abstract

Cooking with biomass fuels is associated with a 40% increase in the risk of vision impairment among older Chinese adults.

A total of 4711 participants aged 65 and older were included, with 1053 (22.35%) developing vision impairment during follow-up.
The use of indoor biomass fuels was linked to a hazard ratio of 1.40 for vision impairment, indicating a significant risk.
Participants who switched from clean fuels to biomass fuels had a higher risk of vision impairment, with a hazard ratio of 1.44.
Greater risk estimates were observed in older adults residing in eastern and central China, as well as urban areas.
Further studies with objective assessments of biomass fuel combustion are needed to validate these findings.

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Cooking with biomass fuels has been reported to have adverse effects on health. This study aims to explore the association between cooking with biomass fuels and vision impairment among Chinese older adults aged 65 years and above. This cohort study drew on data from the 2011/2012 wave and the 2014 follow-up wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Participants' visual function was examined through a vision screening test. Exposure to indoor biomass fuels was self-reported. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to explore the relationship between biomass fuel use and vision impairment. Additionally, we compared the risk of vision impairment between participants who switched cooking fuel types and those who did not. Subgroup and interaction analyses were conducted to explore the potential effect modifiers. A total of 4711 participants were included in this study. During the follow-up, 1053 (22.35%) participants developed vision impairment. Cooking with biomass fuels increased the risk of vision impairment by 40% (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21-1.61). Participants who switched from clean fuels to biomass fuels had a greater risk of vision impairment than persistent clean fuel users (HR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.03-2.00). Greater effect estimates were found in participants who lived in eastern and central China and urban residents. Cooking with biomass fuels resulted in a greater risk of vision impairment among Chinese older adults. This risk also existed in those who changed their cooking fuels from clean fuels to biomass fuels. Further studies with an objective assessment of biomass fuel combustion are required to confirm our findings.

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Association of biomass fuel use with the risk of vision impairment among Chinese older adults: a cohort study

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