Institute for Global Health, University College London, 30 Guilford St, London WC1N 1EH, UK.
Mother and Infant Research Activities, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Feb 1;15(2):248. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020248.
Household air pollution is a major cause of ill health, but few solutions have been effective to date. While many quantitative studies have been conducted, few have explored the lived experiences and perceptions of women who do the cooking, and as a result are those most exposed to household air pollution. In this study, we worked with groups of home cooks, and sought to use art as a means of engaging them in discussions of how household air pollution from cooking affects their lives. In the Terai district of southern Nepal, we held four focus groups that included 26 local women from urban and peri-urban areas, as well as six local artists. The women then met approximately weekly over four months, and produced images related to air pollution. Transcripts from the focus groups were reviewed independently by two authors, who initially categorised data deductively to pre-defined nodes, and subsequently inductively reviewed emergent themes. Women identified a number of health effects from air pollution. The main physical effects related to the eye and the respiratory system, and women and young children were seen as most vulnerable. The psychosocial effects of air pollution included reduced food intake by women and lethargy. Suggested solutions included modifications to the cooking process, changing the location of stoves, and increasing ventilation. The main barriers were financial. The lived experiences of women in southern Nepal around the problem of air pollution offers a more nuanced and context-specific understanding of the perceptions and challenges of addressing air pollution, which can be used to inform future interventions.
家庭空气污染是导致健康问题的主要原因，但迄今为止，很少有解决方案能够有效解决这一问题。虽然已经进行了许多定量研究，但很少有研究探讨做饭的女性的生活经历和看法，而这些女性正是最容易受到家庭空气污染影响的人群。在这项研究中，我们与一群家庭厨师合作，试图利用艺术作为一种手段，让她们参与讨论烹饪产生的家庭空气污染如何影响她们的生活。在尼泊尔南部的特莱地区，我们举行了四次焦点小组会议，参与者包括来自城市和城郊地区的 26 名当地女性，以及 6 名当地艺术家。然后，这些女性大约每周聚会一次，持续四个月，创作与空气污染有关的图像。两名作者独立审查了焦点小组的记录，他们最初根据预先确定的节点对数据进行演绎分类，然后对新出现的主题进行归纳审查。女性们指出了一些空气污染带来的健康影响。主要的身体影响与眼睛和呼吸系统有关，女性和儿童被认为最易受到影响。空气污染的心理社会影响包括女性和儿童的食物摄入量减少和嗜睡。建议的解决方案包括改进烹饪过程、改变炉灶位置和增加通风。主要障碍是资金。尼泊尔南部女性对空气污染问题的生活经历提供了一个更细致入微和具体背景的理解，了解了人们对空气污染的看法和应对空气污染的挑战，这可以为未来的干预措施提供信息。
