Assessment of Association between Gas Flaring and Prevalence of Diseases: Delineation of Opinion from Perception

Abstract

Background: Pollutants are released into the atmosphere by gas flaring, and these cause a range of health problems, including heart disease and respiratory disorders. This article assesses the opinion and perception of the community regarding association between gas flaring and prevalence of diseases. Methodology: This research followed a descriptive quantitative approach. Purposive survey using 2 Likert scale questionnaires was adopted, and the first questionnaire collected data on distance to gas flare site, health status and family health history, amongst others. The second collected data on perception and knowledge-based opinions regarding association and correlation. Summated Likert scale were collated and descriptive and correlation analysis between distance to gas flare site and number of diseases in respondents and their families were done. Results: In this purposive survey, there is no correlation between nearness to gas flare and prevalence of diseases. There appears no difference in communities proximal to flare sites compared to non-host communities farther from site. Multivariate analysis further shows that no statistically significant difference between groups, except in comparison of perceptions. Conclusion: This investigation shows a variation from previous observation in this series i.e. that distance to gas flare site is a potential factor influencing community members’ perception about their health impact, but the surveyed opinion of healthcare workers differs. This implies that nearness to gas flare sites mediate perception of negative health impact and this calls for further research to delineate perception from knowledge-based opinion.