One of the many benefits of our work in the Dominican Republic has been the opportunity for comparative research among our academic partners. One such example is with the Department of Respiratory Therapy from Georgia State University. Their study compared a population from Nicaragua to a population from the Dominican Republic to determine differences in indoor cooking practices and vital signs.
“Indoor air pollution remains a critically important public health problem. Our study found that indoor cooking practices varied across two countries in the Caribbean: the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. Age was associated with higher systolic blood pressure measurements and higher carbon monoxide levels in both countries. While improved cookstoves were not associated with either systolic blood pressure or carbon monoxide levels in this study, future studies should examine the context and duration of the improved cookstoves in the home to better inform targeted intervention efforts.”