BACKGROUND: Carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the leading causes of poisoning in the US. As a colorless and odorless gas, it can go unnoticed in the home unless a CO detector is installed. CO poisoning is associated with increased maternal and fetal mortality. Therefore, it is important for women that are planning to get pregnant to install a CO detector in their home prior to conception. In this analysis, we examined associations between the presence of a CO detector in the residence and demographic characteristics of women of reproductive age (18-44 years of age).
METHODS: Data from the 2011 South Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (SC BRFSS) were obtained (n=12,948). The study population was restricted to reproductive aged women who were not currently pregnant (n=1,250) and who responded yes/no to the CO detector question. Survey analysis procedures were utilized to obtain odds ratios (OR) for bivariate associations between having a CO detector in the home and demographics of interest.
RESULTS: Of the women in the study sample, 27.7% reported having a CO detector in their home. The odds of having a CO detector in the home was significantly lower for reproductive aged women with less than high school education (OR: 0.42 (95% CI: 0.23, 0.80)) and a high school education (0.53 (0.33, 0.85)), compared to those who had graduated from college. Additionally, annual household incomes of <$15,000 (0.45 (0.26, 0.79)) and of $15,000-<$25,000 (0.52 (0.30, 0.87)) were associated with lower odds of having a CO detector in the home, compared to an income of $50,000 or more. Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks (0.46 (0.32, 0.69)) and other race/ethnicities (0.37 (0.17, 0.78)) had significantly lower odds of having a CO detector. Those who have never been married (0.56 (0.38, 0.83)) and those who rented their home (0.47 (0.32, 0.74)) also had lower odds of having a CO detector in their residence. Family planning, previous pregnancy, current smoking status, and BMI were not statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS: Non-pregnant women of reproductive age who reported lower educational attainment and income level, had never been married, rented their home, and were not non-Hispanic White have overall lower odds of having a CO detector in their home. Although family planning was not significantly associated with the presence of a CO detector, it may be important to focus educational efforts with this population of women due to potential for unplanned pregnancies.