Determinants of and Spatial Variation in Exposure to Indoor Pollution in Assam

Pralip Kumar Narzary, Bodoland University

The use of solid cooking fuels and indoor smoking exposes household members to harmful air pollutants, one of the key factors causing various health emergencies. Thus, this study aims to explore the factors influencing exposure to indoor pollution and the spatial variations across Assam, India, using data from the latest National Family Health Survey (2019-21). In Assam, about half of all households are exposed to solid fuel combustion, with a similar proportion facing second-hand smoke exposure. Overall, nearly eight out of ten households are exposed to one of these indoor pollutants. Cross-tabulation and chi-square tests reveal a significant negative association between the age of the household head, wealth quintiles, and exposure to indoor pollution. The binary logistic regression analysis indicates that the sex of household head, caste, economic condition, land holding, place of residence, religion, and number of household members play a significant role in determining exposure to indoor pollution. District-level analysis reveals a wide variation in exposure to indoor pollution, the LISA cluster map and Moran’s I values did not show significant clustering of hot-hot or cold-cold spots. There is an urgent need to raise awareness about the harmful effects of solid fuel use and indoor smoking.

Keywords: Geo-referenced/geo-coded data, Health and Morbidity, Neighbourhood/contextual effect analysis, Population and Development

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