Factors associated with continued use of LPG for cooking over a two-month period in peri-urban Cameroon, Kenya and Ghana

Abstract

To reduce household air pollution exposure, consistent use of clean cooking fuels (e.g. liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)) is needed. While several studies have investigated determinants of LPG adoption cross-sectionally, few have explored factors associated with its use over time. Two surveys were administered to primary cooks in three peri-urban communities: Mbalmayo, Cameroon; Obuasi, Ghana and Eldoret, Kenya, with an approximate two-month period in between surveys. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed predictors of continued primary LPG use. Within two months, 15% ( n = 94) of 625 households cooking primarily with LPG ceased using it as their primary fuel. Additionally, 25% ( n = 38) of 149 households using LPG as a secondary fuel stopped cooking with LPG altogether. In the multivariable model, primary cooks reporting constant availability of LPG at retailers had 1.34 times the odds (95% CI:1.07–1.70) of continued primary LPG use as those who found LPG refills to be unavailable once a month or more. Additionally, households with double (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.03–1.20) or triple-burner LPG stoves (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.10–1.30) had significantly higher odds of continuing to use LPG compared with those using a single-burner stove. Furthermore, households that used their stove seven days during the previous week had significantly higher odds (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.10–1.30) of continued LPG use. Lastly, households in which the household head was unemployed had lower odds (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.89–1.00) of continued primary LPG use. These findings underscore the importance of supply reliability and stove functionality as key determinants of continued clean fuel use, beyond initial adoption.