Risk Factors of Acute Respitatory Infection in Children Under Five in Banjaran Bandung Regency

Abstract

Acute respiratory infection is a major public health problem because it contributes to the high mortality rate of children under five. The prevalence of acute respiratory infection in West Java province is estimated to be 4.7%. This study aimed to examine the relationship between ventilation, humidity, temperature, and lighting with the incidence of acute respiratory infection in children under five in Banjaran Bandung Regency. This was a case-control study that used a survey approach. The sample consisted of 132 children under five; data for 66 of these children were based on medical records at the Banjaran Nambo DTP health center, and the other 66 children were a control group who were close neighbors of the cases that met the criteria. Data were collected through observations, a roll meter, thermohygrometer and lux meter. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square test. The results showed that ventilation (p = 0.001, OR: 6.6, 95% CI: 3-14), humidity (p = 0.009, OR: 2.6, 95% CI: 1-5), temperature (p = 0.001, OR: 5, 95% CI: 2-10), and lighting (p = 0.001, OR: 7, 95% CI: 3-17) were significantly related to acute respiratory infection in the children. Therefore, acute respiratory infection in children under five can be prevented by educating the public about the importance of the physical environment of the house.
 Keywords: acute respiratory infection, children under five, humidity, lighting, temperature, ventilation