Association between household air pollution due to unclean fuel use and depression among older adults in India: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Depression is a major public concern among older adults. However, limited studies have examined the association of depression and household air pollution (HAP). Therefore, this study examines the association between HAP due to unclean fuel use and depression among older adults in India.

Methods: Data from Longitudinal Aging Study of India (LASI), wave-1 (2017-18) were used (N = 50,206, ≥50 years). Depression measured by CIDI-SF (Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form) was the outcome variable. Household unclean fuel use was considered as proxy of HAP. Bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression were used to fulfil the study objectives.

Results: The prevalence of depression was greater among unclean fuel users than clean fuel users (9.6% vs 6.6%). Results showed that household unclean fuel use was associated with higher odds of depression. The interaction analyses showed that females and rural residents were at higher risk of depression due to HAP exposure. Furthermore, household cooking conditions also played an important role in the association between HAP exposure and depression. Unclean fuel use indoors without ventilation and with traditional chullah/stove was associated with higher odds of depression among older adults.

Conclusion: The study concludes that exposure to HAP due to unclean fuel use should be considered as a potential risk factor of depression among older adults. Therefore, the study suggests an urgent need to create awareness about negative effects of unclean fuel use on mental health and promote clean fuel usage in households to ensure healthy aging.