Multiple aspects of energy poverty are associated with lower mental health-related quality of life: A modelling study in three peri-urban African communities
Date
2022
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
SSM - Mental Health
Abstract
Objective: Over 900 million people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) live in energy poverty, relying on cooking
polluting fuels (e.g. wood, charcoal). The association between energy poverty and mental and physical health-related
quality of life (HRQoL) among women in SSA, who are primarily tasked with cooking, is unknown.
Methods: Females (n = 1,150) from peri-urban Cameroon, Kenya and Ghana were surveyed on their household
energy use and mental and physical health status using the standardized Short-Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire.
Random effects linear regression linked household energy factors to SF-36 mental (MCS) and physical component
summary (PCS) scores. A binary outcome of ‘likely depression’ was derived based on participants' MCS score.
Random effects Poisson regression with robust error variance assessed the relationship between household energy
factors and odds of likely depression.
Results: The prevalence of likely depression varied by a factor of four among communities (36%). -Mbalmayo,
Cameroon; 20%-Eldoret, Kenya; 9%-Obuasi, Ghana). In the Poisson model, the coefficient of determination (R2)
) ¼
0.28), females sustaining 2 or more cooking-related burns during the previous year had 2.7 (95% CI: [1.8, 4.1])
times the odds of likely depression as those not burned. Females cooking primarily with charcoal and wood had
1.6 times (95% CI: [0.9, 2.7]) and 1.5 times (95% CI: [0.8, 3.0]) the odds of likely depression, respectively, as those
primarily using liquefied petroleum gas. Women without electricity access had 1.4 (95% CI: [1.1, 1.9]) times the
odds of likely depression as those with access. In the MCS model (R2 ¼ 0.23), longer time spent cooking was
associated with a lower average MCS score in a monotonically increasing manner. In the PCS model (R2 ¼ 0.32),
women injured during cooking fuel collection had significantly lower (4.8, 95% CI: [-8.1, 1.4]) PCS scores.
Conclusion: The burden of energy poverty in peri-urban communities in SSA extends beyond physical conditions.
Experiencing cooking-related burns, using polluting fuels for cooking or lighting and spending more time cooking
are potential risk factors for lower mental HRQoL among women
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Clean cooking, Energy poverty, Electricity