Publications by authors named "Donee Alexander"
Article Synopsis
- Approximately 3 billion people, mainly in low- and middle-income countries, use unclean fuels for everyday energy needs, leading to significant health issues like pneumonia and chronic lung disease.
- A multidisciplinary group conducted a review of recent trials on clean cooking interventions to combat household air pollution (HAP) and reached 14 consensus recommendations for policy makers and practitioners.
- While some interventions showed reduced exposure to HAP, there was no clear agreement on their effectiveness in improving health outcomes, highlighting the need for continued research and collaboration with policymakers.
Direct exposure to household fine particulate air pollution (HAP) associated with inefficient combustion of fuels (wood, charcoal, coal, crop residues, kerosene, etc.) for cooking, space-heating, and lighting is estimated to result in 2.3 (1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRationale: Studies identify prenatal household air pollution (HAP) exposure and maternal psychological distress (PMPD) as independent factors contributing to gestational ill-health and adverse birth outcomes.
Objective: We investigated the impact of PMPD on fetal biometric parameters (FBP) in HAP-exposed pregnant Nigerian women.
Methods: The randomized controlled trial (RCT; ClinicalTrials.
Background: Low birthweight, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and perinatal mortality have been associated with air pollution. However, intervention studies that use ultrasound measurements to assess the effects of household air pollution (HAP) on fetal biometric parameters (FBP) are rare. We investigated the effect of a cookstove intervention on FBP and IUGR in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) cohort of HAP-exposed pregnant Nigerian women.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Household air pollution (HAP) exposure has been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Objectives: A randomized controlled trial was undertaken in Ibadan, Nigeria to determine the impact of cooking with ethanol on pregnancy outcomes.
Methods: Three-hundred-twenty-four pregnant women were randomized to either the control (continued cooking using kerosene/firewood stove, n=162) or intervention group (received ethanol stove, n=162).
Background: Household air pollution (HAP) is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Objectives: Investigate impact of in-utero HAP exposure on placental development and chronic hypoxia.
Methods: Markers of chronic placental hypoxia [Hofbauer cells (HBC), syncytial knots (SK), chorionic vascular density (cVD) and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)] were stained by hematoxylin-eosin and/or immunohistochemically in placenta samples collected from firewood-/kerosene-users (A,n=16), and ethanol-users (B,n=20) that participated in a randomized controlled intervention trial in Ibadan, Nigeria.
Background: Maternal exposure to ambient air pollution affects placental growth markers.
Objectives: Investigate impact of household air pollution (HAP) on placental growth markers.
Methods: Two groups of pregnant women were identified: firewood/kerosene stove-users (A, n=33) and bioethanol stove-users (B, n=44) that participated in a randomized control trial in Ibadan, Nigeria.
Rationale: Hypertension during pregnancy is a leading cause of maternal mortality. Exposure to household air pollution elevates blood pressure (BP).
Objectives: To investigate the ability of a clean cookstove intervention to lower BP during pregnancy.
Background: Exposure to household air pollution (HAP) has been linked to systemic inflammation. We determined the impact of transition from traditional firewood/kerosene stove to bioethanol-burning stove on inflammatory biomarkers in pregnant Nigerian women.
Methods: Women (n=324), cooking with kerosene/firewood, were recruited during their first trimester of pregnancy from June 2013-October 2015 and were randomly allocated to either control (n=162) or intervention (n=162) group using web-based randomization.
Background: Household air pollution (HAP) from combustion of biomass fuels worldwide is linked to asthma, respiratory infections and chronic pulmonary diseases. Implementation of ventilated cookstoves significantly reduces exposure to HAP. However, improvements in concurrent respiratory health-related quality of life (HRQoL) have not been previously evaluated with a standardized questionnaire.
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