Living Environment in Slums and Prevalence of Acute Respiratory Infection among Children in Eight Selected Cities of India

Abstract

Living Environment in Slums and Prevalence of Acute Respiratory Infection among Children in Eight Selected Cities of IndiaAbstract Number:2413 Chandrashekhar CHANDRASHEKHAR* and Bornali DUTTA Chandrashekhar CHANDRASHEKHAR* International Institute for Population Sciences(IIPS), India, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author and Bornali DUTTA International Institute for Population Sciences(IIPS), India, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author AbstractThe study examines the living environment in the slum and non-slum areas of urban India and its eight selected cities. At the same time, the study also aims to find out prevalence of ARI in slum and non-slum areas of eight selected cities and its determinants. The study estimates the effect of sources of air pollution on acute respiratory infection (ARI) among children less than five years of age. The analysis is based on 5,019 children aged 0 to 4 years included in India’s National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) conducted in 2005-06. To visualize the living environment of the slum and non-slum areas bivariate analysis were used. Logistic Regression analysis is used to estimate effects. Different models have been run to see the independent effect of household environment and after controlling for other variables on ARI. In slums, the household environment is appalling as compared to non-slums. Access to potable water and toilet facility in slum areas is not adequate that invites a host of diseases. Even in majority of slum areas, there is a problem of indoor smoke that may cause respiratory diseases to women in general and children in particular, because they are most exposed to the prevailing environment. The prevalence of ARI in slum and non-slum areas is high in relatively small cities. Children living in households using only biomass fuels for cooking are almost one and a half times more likely to have suffered from ARI as children in the households using cleaner fuels (OR = 1.49; CI = 1.39-1.68). This effect is somewhat increases when environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and other indoor smoke variables are statistically controlled (OR = 1.52; CI = 1.16-1.98). When Environmental variables, child level variables, mother level variables and household level variables are additionally controlled, then among other variables ETS, cooking smoke and type of cooking stove has been found to be statistically significant contributors for ARI among children in slum areas.