TITLE:
Factors Associated with Acute Respiratory Infections in Children Aged 0 - 5 Years in the Yénawa District of Cotonou (Benin) in 2023
AUTHORS:
Virginie Mongbo, Luc Béhanzin, Lamidhi Salami, Nicolas Hamondji Amegan, Edgard-Marius Ouendo
KEYWORDS:
Acute Respiratory Infections, Children Aged 0 - 5, Associated Factors, Yénawa, Benin
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Epidemiology,
Vol.14 No.2,
May
21,
2024
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Acute respiratory infections remain one of the main causes of mortality in children aged 0 to 5. This work aimed to study the associated factors with the occurrence of acute respiratory infections in children 0 to 5 years old in Yénawa, Cotonou in 2023. Subjects and Method: It was an analytical cross-sectional study of children aged 0 - 5 years and their mothers in Yénawa, selected by four-degree random sampling. The sampling size, calculated using the Schwartz formula, was 126 children and 126 mothers. The dependent variable was the occurrence of acute respiratory infections. The independent variables were classified into four groups: socio-demographic and economic characteristics, behavioral factors, child-related factors, and environmental factors. Data collected by observation and questionnaire survey were analyzed using STATA version 15 software. Associated factors were investigated by bivariate analysis and multiple logistic regression, at the 5% significance level. Results: A total of 126 children aged 0 - 5 years and 126 mothers were surveyed, aged 23.5 (11 - 36) months and 30 (18 - 48) years respectively. The prevalence of acute respiratory infections was 74.60% (CI95% = 66.89 to 82.30). The associated factors were the mother’s age between 18 and 28 (OR = 10.77; CI95% = 1.89 to 61.27; p = 0.007), the use of charcoal/wood for cooking (OR = 7.36; IC = 1.99 to 27.10; p = 0.003)), children's poor personal hygiene (OR = 8.87; IC = 2.92 to 26.97; p 0.001)), and cohabitation with domestic animals (OR = 7.27; IC = 1.67 to 31.71; p = 0.015). Conclusion: Communicating with mothers about the factors identified will help reduce the prevalence of acute respiratory infections in children aged 0 to 5.