Acute respiratory infection and its associated factors among children under five years

Abstract

Acute respiratory infection (ARI) is the most common infectious disease in children under five years, with mild to severe manifestations. ARI is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in under-five children worldwide, caused by nutritional status, immunization, exclusive breastfeeding, low birth weight, smoking behavior of family members, and mother's knowledge. In 2018 there were 3529 cases of ARI among children under five in NTT. This study aims to analyze the risk factors of ARI among children under five in Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara. This study was cross-sectional. A total of 324 participants were recruited using convenience sampling. The data were collected using an electronic questionnaire which was distributed online. Data analysis using chi-square. The findings showed that exclusive breastfeeding (p-value = 0.008) and the mother's knowledge (p-value = 0.02) are associated with ARI in the Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara. Recommendations from this study are that mothers are expected to give exclusive breastfeeding for six months, increase knowledge by reading, and actively participate in health education held in the working area of the public health center.