Structural Inequality in Clean Fuel Access and Acute Respiratory Infection Among Nigerian Children: An Intersectional Multilevel Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Background Acute respiratory infection (ARI) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children under five in Nigeria. Although polluting cooking fuels are widely considered a key risk factor, their effects may be shaped by broader socioeconomic and geographic conditions. This study examined both individual and structural determinants of ARI and assessed how these factors intersect to pattern risk. Methods We analysed data from 28,728 children under five in the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Three ARI definitions were applied. Survey-weighted quasibinomial logistic regression estimated associations between ARI and cooking fuel type, child age and sex, household wealth quintile, residence type, geopolitical zone, and parental education. To examine intersectional patterning, we conducted a Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy (MAIHDA), constructing strata defined by combinations of cooking fuel, wealth, residence, and geopolitical zone. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) quantified between-strata variance. Results Strict ARI prevalence was 1.9%, and 8.3% of children had broader respiratory symptoms. In unadjusted analyses, polluting fuel use was associated with higher odds of respiratory symptoms (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.43–2.39). After adjustment, this association was substantially attenuated, indicating confounding by structural factors. Child age was the most consistent predictor: children aged 24–59 months had about half the odds of strict ARI compared with infants (aOR 0.53, 95% CI 0.41–0.68). Geopolitical zone showed the strongest overall association. MAIHDA revealed that 9% of total ARI variance lay between intersectional strata (ICC = 0.09), and this variance was not explained by child age or sex. The population-attributable fraction for polluting fuel declined from 41.4% to 12.4% after adjustment. Conclusions ARI risk among Nigerian children is shaped more by structural and geographic inequalities than by household fuel use alone. Equity-focused, subnational policies addressing intersecting socioeconomic and regional disadvantage are needed to reduce the ARI burden.