Cooking Fuel Choices—Analysis of Socio-economic and Demographic Factors in Rural India—

Abstract

Indoor air pollution from the combustion of traditional cooking fuels causes millions of annual premature deaths in the developing world. This study examines the socio-economic and demographic factors that affect household choices of cooking fuels used in India. Survey data collected from 68 households in the rural areas of West Bengal were analyzed. The results of the regression analyses show that the location of the kitchen and the availability of free fuel affect the choice of clean cooking fuels. Furthermore, household income, age and education level of the household head are positively associated with clean fuel choices, while household size and distance to the nearest market are negatively associated with clean fuel choices.