Polluting cooking fuels and life satisfaction among middle-aged and older adults: a cross-sectional study from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India.

Polluting cooking fuels are a major source of household air pollution and may reduce life satisfaction (LS). Yet, this relationship remains unexplored in India where polluting fuel use is still widespread. We utilized cross-sectional data from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India, a nationally representative study of individuals aged 45 years and above. Cooking fuel type was classified as households using clean fuels (CF) or non-CF. Based on kitchen type, non-CF was categorized into non-CF in separate kitchen, and non-CF without separate kitchen. We used multivariable regression to examine the association between polluting cooking fuels and LS and explored gender differences in this association. The analytical sample comprised 62,822 respondents (mean age 59.56 ± 10.52 years). The use of non-CF in separate and non-separate kitchen was 27.08% (n = 17,010) and 18.89% (n = 11,868), respectively. We observed that LS scores were highest among households using CF, followed by those using non-CF in separate kitchen, and lowest among households using non-CF without separate room for cooking. Additionally, in the fully adjusted model, a dose-response association with LS was observed corresponding to different levels of polluting cooking fuels (non-CF in separate kitchen: β = -0.51 [95% CI: -0.71, -0.31]; non-CF without separate kitchen: β = -1.42 [95% CI: -1.65, -1.19]). Multiple sensitivity analyses support the robustness of our findings. Gender was a significant effect modifier, with the interaction model revealing a stronger negative association between non-CF use and LS among women than among men. Our findings highlight the need for policies that promote an equitable clean fuel transition to enhance life satisfaction and well-being.