Association between solid fuel combustion and diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis

In recent years, many epidemiological studies have investigated the relationship between solid fuel combustion and diabetes mellitus (DM). This meta-analysis was performed to explore the potential association between solid fuel combustion and DM. A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify all relevant studies published prior to January 14, 2022. The pooled odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate the effect of solid fuel combustion on DM. The I square value (I²) was used to assess heterogeneity. Due to the heterogeneity of the studies (I² = 66.70%), a random-effect model was used as the pooling method. A total of 9 articles (10 available datasets) were used for this systematic review and meta-analysis, involving 45,620 study subjects. The results of the meta-analysis showed a statistically positive relationship between household solid fuel combustion and the risk of DM (OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.09–1.97). Subgroup analysis based on fuel type revealed a statistically significant association in the mixed solid fuel group (OR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.59–2.59), but not in the single biomass group (OR = 1.04, 95% CI = 0.73–1.49). This meta-analysis suggests that solid fuel combustion may be associated with an increased risk of DM.