Traditional cooking fuels and type 2 diabetes in rural South India: insights from the TREND study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Traditional cooking fuels and type 2 diabetes in rural South India

T2 - insights from the TREND study

AU - Lakshmi, Natarajan

AU - Anjana, Ranjit Mohan

AU - Venkatesan, Ulagamadesan

AU - Palmer, Colin N. A.

AU - Mohan, Viswanathan

AU - Rakesh, Hari

AU - Pradeepa, Rajendra

N1 - Copyright: © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

PY - 2025/11/24

Y1 - 2025/11/24

N2 - Traditional fuels including firewood, charcoal, or kerosene still remains a primary cooking fuel in rural India and the health impacts of such exposures in relation to T2D are not fully understood. Hence, this study investigates the association between traditional fuel use and prevalence of T2D in rural Tamil Nadu. Data were derived from the TREND study, a population-based cross-sectional survey conducted between 2018 and 2021 across 30 villages in Cheyyur Taluk, Tamil Nadu. A total of 13,877 adults aged ≥18 years with complete information on cooking fuel type and valid Oral Glucose Tolerance Test results were included. Participants were categorized as traditional fuel users (n = 13669) or clean fuel users(n = 208). Higher prevalence of T2D were observed among traditional fuel users (14.2% vs 12%; p < 0.001) and in the households who did not have a separate room for cooking (16.5% vs. 12.2%; p < 0.001) when compared to the clean fuel users and households with separate room for cooking. Traditional fuel use was associated with 80% higher odds of T2D among women (OR = 1.8; p < 0.05), independent of age, sex, family history, BMI, education and income. There is an urgent need for effective and sustained cleaner fuel adoption, improved kitchen ventilation in rural populations of India.

AB - Traditional fuels including firewood, charcoal, or kerosene still remains a primary cooking fuel in rural India and the health impacts of such exposures in relation to T2D are not fully understood. Hence, this study investigates the association between traditional fuel use and prevalence of T2D in rural Tamil Nadu. Data were derived from the TREND study, a population-based cross-sectional survey conducted between 2018 and 2021 across 30 villages in Cheyyur Taluk, Tamil Nadu. A total of 13,877 adults aged ≥18 years with complete information on cooking fuel type and valid Oral Glucose Tolerance Test results were included. Participants were categorized as traditional fuel users (n = 13669) or clean fuel users(n = 208). Higher prevalence of T2D were observed among traditional fuel users (14.2% vs 12%; p < 0.001) and in the households who did not have a separate room for cooking (16.5% vs. 12.2%; p < 0.001) when compared to the clean fuel users and households with separate room for cooking. Traditional fuel use was associated with 80% higher odds of T2D among women (OR = 1.8; p < 0.05), independent of age, sex, family history, BMI, education and income. There is an urgent need for effective and sustained cleaner fuel adoption, improved kitchen ventilation in rural populations of India.

KW - clean fuel

KW - Diabetes

KW - India

KW - rural

KW - traditional fuel

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105023646912

U2 - 10.1080/09603123.2025.2593380

DO - 10.1080/09603123.2025.2593380

M3 - Article

C2 - 41287529

AN - SCOPUS:105023646912

SN - 0960-3123

JO - International Journal of Environmental Health Research

JF - International Journal of Environmental Health Research

ER -