Prevalence of acute respiratory infection among under-five children in urban and rural areas of puducherry, India

• Published in: Journal of natural science, biology and medicine Vol. 6; no. 1; pp. 3 - 6
• Main Authors: Kumar, S, Majumdar, Anindo, Kumar, Veera, Naik, Bijay, Selvaraj, Kalaiselvi, Balajee, Karthik
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Medknow Publications Pvt Ltd 01.01.2015; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd
• Subjects: Age groups; Birth order; Birth weight; Child Health Mini-Series; Children; Children & youth; Confidence intervals; Data collection; Developing countries; Diagnosis; Health aspects; LDCs; Morbidity; Mortality; Multivariate analysis; Respiratory tract infections; Risk factors; Rural areas; Sample size; Studies; Urban areas; India; Bangladesh; ARI; urban; under-5 years old children; respiratory disease; rural
• ISSN: 0976-9668; 2229-7707
• DOI: 10.4103/0976-9668.149069

Introduction: The incidence of Acute respiratory infections (ARI) is high among under-five children, especially in developing countries. However, the data on ARI from rural and urban areas in India are scarce. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of ARI and selected associated factors among under-five children. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in urban and rural areas of Puducherry, India. Data were collected from 509 parents of under-five children regarding ARI incidence along with socio-demographic and selected associated factors. Results: Overall prevalence of ARI was observed to be 59.1%, with prevalence in urban and rural areas being 63.7% and 53.7%, respectively. Bivariate analysis indicated that overcrowding, place of residence, and mother′s education were significantly associated with ARI. Multiple logistic regression analysis suggested that presence of overcrowding (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.492), urban residence (AOR = 2.329), and second birth order (AOR = 0.371) were significant predictors of ARI. Conclusion: The prevalence of ARI is high, particularly in urban areas. Improvement of living conditions may help in reduction of burden of ARI in the community.