Exposure to indoor air pollution from the combustion of biomass fuels (wood, charcoal, animal dung and crop wastes) and coal is a significant public health hazard predominantly affecting poor rural and urban communities in developing countries. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Sonatti village of Belagavi district among non-smoking women aged 20 years and above using biomass fuels for cooking. Interview was done using a pretested questionnaire. Observations were made on housing characteristics especially about kitchen and the cooking stove. The respiratory symptoms included cough (19.68%), phlegm (12.5%), breathlessness (9.37%),wheezing (0.31%) and chest illness (0.31%). 96% of the subjects cooked in kitchens which lacked a chimney and 95% of the subjects used kitchens which lacked even a single window. The overall prevalence of respiratory symptoms came out to be 20.31%.
