Acute respiratory infection in the community affecting children under 15 years old. Associated risk factors.

Abstract

It was performed a research and some controls to patients with the objective to identify some risk factors of the Acute Respiratory Infection in children under 15 years old belonging to the consults 145B and 18 Floor- Building of Jimmy Hirtzel polyclinic in Bayamo, Granma. The sample was made by 111 patients and 222 controls from a universe of 341 children. For the controls there were selected children under 15 years without respiratory symptoms, they belonged to the same consult. It was studied the association between the acute respiratory disease with the risk factors like: environmental, nutritional and some others related to the mother. The results showed that the low scholarity of the mother was a risk factor statistically outstanding. (OR: 6.67 IC: 5.67-7.84) in relation to the risk of children who acquire acute respiratory infections. It was evidenced that the children whose parents are smokers presented more risks to acquire this disease (OR 4.50, IC 3.34-6.0). Conclusions: all of the studied risk factors contributed to the risk to acquire High Acute Respiratory Infections in the community. The most significant factors were the mother scholarity level, undernutrition and passive exposure to the smoke.