Smoke exposure of women and young children in highland Guatemala: Prediction and recall accuracy

In order to measure accurately indigenous Guatemalan women and young children's exposure to smoke from cooking fires, three techniques were compared: 1) observation; 2) recall 24 hours later based on duration of activities; and 3) recall 24 hours later based on the time each activity started and stopped (elapsed time). To measure recall accuracy 43 women and their children under two years were observed during meal preparation and consumption, and the next day were asked to recall these activities. Women were reasonably accurate when recalling durations, but recall was significantly less accurate using elapsed times. Recall accuracy increased when two days' measurements were averaged. Women spent more time in the kitchen if they had a husband, and spoke only the indigenous language. For children, mothers' patterns and child's age were associated with time in the kitchen. Children who could walk spent significantly less time in the kitchen than non-walkers. Implications for action to prevent indoor air pollution for women and children are discussed.