Indoor Cooking Practices and Associated Health Factors Among Participants in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua: A Collaborative Study Between Respiratory Therapy Students and Comunidad Connect

Authors

• Rachel Culbreth, Georgia State UniversityFollow
• Rachel Trawick, Georgia State UniversityFollow
• Jon Thompson, Comunidad ConnectFollow
• Douglas S. Gardenhire, Georgia State UniversityFollow

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine factors associated with indoor cooking practices and specific vital signs across two middle-income countries, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. This study used data from Nicaragua (n=76) and Dominican Republic (n=62) (collected in 2018-2019). Multivariable linear regression was utilized to determine factors associated with carbon monoxide levels and systolic blood pressure. Among all participants (n=138), approximately half lived in Nicaragua (n=76, 55.1%) and half lived in Dominican Republic (n=62, 44.9%). The overall smoking prevalence in each country was low (9.2% in Nicaragua and 4.8% in Dominican Republic). Age was associated with higher carbon monoxide levels and higher systolic blood pressure measurements in each country. Future studies should examine a broader range of contextual and behavioral factors related to carbon monoxide and peak flow measurements in the two countries.

Author Bio(s)

Rachel Culbreth, PhD, MPH, RRT, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Respiratory Therapy at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA.

Rachel Trawick, MS, RRT, is a licensed Respiratory Therapist and previous Graduate Teaching Assistant at Georgia State University.

Jon Thompson, MSW, is the director of Comunidad Connect, a non-profit organization that provides housing stability, improved healthcare access, and youth programs to individuals in rural communities in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

Douglas S. Gardenhire, EdD, RRT, RRT-NPS, FAARC, is the Chair of the Department of Respiratory Therapy, Governor's Teaching Fellow, and Clinical Professor at Georgia State University.

Recommended Citation

Culbreth R, Trawick R, Thompson J, Gardenhire DS. Indoor Cooking Practices and Associated Health Factors Among Participants in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua: A Collaborative Study Between Respiratory Therapy Students and Comunidad Connect. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. 2021 Jan 01;19(3), Article 18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46743/1540-580X/2021.2078