Weill Cornell Center for Global Health, New York, New York, USA.
Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda.
J Glob Health. 2023 Apr 14;13:04026. doi: 10.7189/jogh.13.04026.
Expanding electrification and access to other clean and affordable energy, such as solar energy, is a critical component of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where 70% of people are energy insecure. Intervention trials related to access or less polluting household energy alternatives have typically focused on air quality and biological outcomes rather than on how an intervention affects the end user's lived experiences, a key determinant of uptake and adoption outside of a research setting. We explored perceptions of and experiences with a household solar lighting intervention in rural Uganda.
In 2019, we completed a one-year parallel group, randomized wait-list controlled trial of indoor solar lighting systems (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03351504) in rural Uganda where participants are largely relying on kerosene and other fuel-based lighting received household indoor solar lighting systems. In this qualitative sub-study, we conducted one-on-one, in-depth qualitative interviews with all 80 female participants enrolled in the trial. Interviews explored how solar lighting and illumination impacted participants' lives. We applied a theoretical model linking social integration and health to analyse dynamic interactions across aspects of study participants' lived experiences. Sensors were used to measure daily lighting use before and after receipt of the intervention solar lighting system.
Introduction of the solar lighting system increased daily household lighting use by 6.02 (95% confidence intervals (CI) = 4.05-8.00) hours a day. The solar lighting intervention had far-reaching social implications with improved social integration and, consequently, social health. Participants felt that lighting improved their social status, mitigated the stigma of poverty, and increased the duration and frequency of social interactions. Household relationships improved with access to lighting because of reduced conflicts over light rationing. Participants also described a communal benefit of lighting due to improved feelings of safety. At the individual-level, many reported improved self-esteem, sense of well-being, and reduced stress.
Improved access to lighting and illumination had far reaching implications for participants, including improved social integration. More empirical research, particularly in the light and household energy field, is needed that emphasizes the impacts of interventions on social health.
ClinicalTrials.gov No. NCT03351504.
扩大电气化和获得其他清洁、经济实惠的能源，如太阳能，是可持续发展目标的一个关键组成部分，特别是在撒哈拉以南非洲，那里有 70%的人缺乏能源保障。与获得或使用污染较少的家用能源替代品相关的干预试验通常侧重于空气质量和生物结果，而不是干预措施如何影响最终用户的生活体验，这是研究环境之外的采用和采用的关键决定因素。我们探讨了乌干达农村家庭太阳能照明干预措施的看法和经验。
2019 年，我们在乌干达农村完成了一项为期一年的平行组、随机等待名单对照试验，研究室内太阳能照明系统（ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03351504），参与者主要依赖煤油和其他燃料照明，为其家庭提供室内太阳能照明系统。在这项定性子研究中，我们对参加试验的 80 名女性参与者进行了一对一的深入定性访谈。访谈探讨了太阳能照明和照明如何影响参与者的生活。我们应用了一个将社会融合与健康联系起来的理论模型，来分析研究参与者生活体验各个方面的动态相互作用。在收到干预性太阳能照明系统之前和之后，使用传感器来测量每天的照明使用情况。
引入太阳能照明系统使家庭每天的照明使用量增加了 6.02 小时（95%置信区间[CI]：4.05-8.00）。太阳能照明干预措施具有深远的社会影响，改善了社会融合，进而改善了社会健康。参与者认为照明提高了他们的社会地位，减轻了贫困的耻辱感，并增加了社交互动的时间和频率。由于减少了对灯光分配的冲突，家庭关系得到了改善。参与者还描述了由于安全感的提高而带来的照明的共同好处。在个人层面上，许多人报告说自尊心提高了，幸福感增强了，压力减轻了。
改善照明和照明条件对参与者产生了深远的影响，包括改善社会融合。需要进行更多的实证研究，特别是在光照和家用能源领域，强调干预措施对社会健康的影响。
ClinicalTrials.gov 编号 NCT03351504。
