Relationship of Smoking and Solid Fuel Usage with Pulmonary Dysfunction of Rural Residents in Gansu Province, China

Objective To investigate the respiratory health of residents in the rural areas of Gansu province, China, and to explore the relationship of smoking and solid fuel usage with pulmonary dysfunction.

Methods From August to November, 2015, 1 522 residents aged between 40 and 80 years from 18 villages at three surveillance sites in Gansu province were enrolled in the study using multi-stage stratified random sampling. A questionnaire survey and pulmonary function examination were performed on the subjects. A two-level logistic regression model was used to analyze the effects of active smoking and solid fuel usage on the pulmonary function; an additive model and a multiplicative model were used to analyze the interactions between risk factors.

Results The detection rate of abnormal pulmonary function was 22.0%, while the resident smoking rate was 41.7%, and the solid fuel usage rate was 69.3%. Abnormal pulmonary function was related to smoking and solid fuel usage for heating or cooking (P < 0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, the two-level logistic regression analysis indicated that smoking ≥20 cigarettes per day and solid fuel usage for ≥10 years posed the highest risk of abnormal pulmonary function (P < 0.05). Smoking and solid fuel usage may increase the risk of abnormal pulmonary function, but there was only multiplicative interaction (without additive interaction) between the two factors.

Conclusion Active smoking and solid fuel usage are related to abnormal pulmonary function in the rural residents in Gansu province. The risk of abnormal pulmonary function increases with increased cigarette consumption and years of solid fuel usage.