Open AccessSociodemographic and environmental factors influencing acute respiratory infections among under-five children of chars (riverine islands) of Tinsukia District, Assam: A community-based cross-sectional study
Author(s) -
Ishan Phukan,
Rupali Baruah,
SultanaJesmin Ahmed,
TulikaGoswami Mahanta,
Baidurjya Mahanta,
FarhanaShaheen Hussain
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
indian journal of public health/indian journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.381
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 2229-7693
pISSN - 0019-557X
DOI - 10.4103/ijph.ijph_1691_21
Subject(s) - overcrowding , cross sectional study , environmental health , medicine , socioeconomic status , under five , respiratory tract infections , demography , geography , population , respiratory system , pathology , sociology , economics , economic growth
Acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in under-five children worldwide. Assam has around 2500 river islands (locally called Chars/Chaporis) in the Brahmaputra River with socioeconomically deprived inhabitants lacking access to basic health-care facilities. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 380 under-five children living in the Char areas of Tinsukia District to estimate the prevalence of ARI and determine the associated risk factors. The prevalence of ARI among under-five children was found to be 56.32%. Prevalence was significantly higher among children living in Dibru-Saikhowa island, with families having >2 children, belonging to socioeconomic class 5 (modified BG Prasad scale), having a positive history of smoking or ARI in family members, having homes with attached kitchens or using wood for cooking, inadequate ventilation or overcrowding and residences of katcha ghars.