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Cooking Fuel Choice and Wellbeing: A Global Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Nigel Scott

    (Gamos, Reading RG1 4LS, UK)

  • Jerome Nsengiyaremye

    (School of Social Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UK)

  • Jacob Fodio Todd

    (Gamos, Reading RG1 4LS, UK)

  • Jon Leary

    (Gamos, Reading RG1 4LS, UK)

Abstract

This paper assesses the relationship between the proportion of the population with primary reliance on different types of fuels for cooking (national averages) and a number of key wellbeing indices. The study uses a data set created from a combination of the Gallup World Poll database and the World Health Organisation (WHO) Household Energy Database. The Gallup database comprises multinational survey data and contains wellbeing indices (Personal Health, Social Life, Civic Engagement, Life Evaluation, Negative Experience, etc.). The WHO database gives the proportion of a population with primary reliance on different types of cooking fuels. In order to understand the relative importance of the choice of cooking fuels in terms of wellbeing, regression modelling is used to control for the effects of demographic variables (income per capita, age, education level, employment, etc.), available in the Gallup database, on the wellbeing indices. The regression analysis results show that clean cooking fuels are strongly influential in health-related indices. By adding access to electricity as an additional predictor variable, the analysis highlights the potential for integrating eCooking into national electrification plans as part of sustainable energy transitions, given that health outcomes appear to be as closely linked to the choice of cooking fuels as to access to electricity.

Suggested Citation

  • Nigel Scott & Jerome Nsengiyaremye & Jacob Fodio Todd & Jon Leary, 2023. "Cooking Fuel Choice and Wellbeing: A Global Perspective," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-22, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:18:p:6739-:d:1244542
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Boqiang Lin & Kai Wei, 2022. "Does Use of Solid Cooking Fuels Increase Family Medical Expenses in China?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-17, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sharma, Krishan & Rahman, Nida, 2025. "Do cooking characteristics and household amenities matter for cooking fuel choice, clean fuel transition, and clean fuel consumption in India?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).

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