Factors associated with severe pneumonia among children <5 years, Kasese District, Uganda: a case-control study, January-April 2023.
Pneumonia (Nathan)
; 16(1): 13, 2024 Jul 25.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39049136
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of infant mortality globally, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In Uganda, pneumonia was the fourth leading cause of death in children <5 years in 2018. Analysis of 2013-2022 data for children <5 years from the District Health Information System indicated a high incidence of severe pneumonia in Kasese District, Uganda. We investigated to identify factors associated with severe pneumonia among children <5 years in Kasese District to inform prevention and control strategies.METHODS:
We conducted a 11 hospital-based case-control study among children aged 2-59 months presenting with pneumonia at five high-volume facilities in Kasese District from January to April 2023. A case was defined as pneumonia with ≥1 of the following danger signs low oxygen saturation, central cyanosis, severe respiratory distress, feeding difficulties, altered consciousness, and convulsions. Controls were outpatient children aged 2-59 months with a diagnosis of non-severe pneumonia. We reviewed medical records at facilities and used an interviewer-administered questionnaire with caregivers to obtain information on socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with severe pneumonia.RESULTS:
We enrolled 199 cases and 174 controls. The odds of severe pneumonia were higher among children with diarrhoea only (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.9, 95%CI 1.7-4.9), or malaria and diarrhoea (aOR = 3.4, 95%CI 2.0-5.9), than those without a co-existing illness at the time of pneumonia diagnosis. Not being exclusively breastfed for ≥ 6 months (aOR = 2.0, 95%CI 1.1-3.3) and exposure to indoor air pollution from cooking combustion sources (aOR = 2.9, 95%CI 1.8-4.7) increased odds of severe pneumonia.CONCLUSION:
The findings highlight the significance of comorbidities, lack of exclusive breastfeeding, and exposure to indoor air pollution in the development of severe pneumonia. Promoting exclusive breastfeeding for ≥ 6 months and advocating for the use of clean energy sources, could mitigate morbidity attributable to severe pneumonia in the region.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Pneumonia (Nathan)
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Uganda