Factors Associated with Acute Respiratory Disease (ARD) among Children under Five Years of Age in District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ) Sheikhupura

Abstract

Background: Acute respiratory disease (ARD) remains a major cause of morbidity among children younger than five years, particularly in low-resource settings. This study assessed the frequency of ARD and its sociodemographic, clinical, and environmental correlates among under-five children in Sheikhupura, Pakistan.

Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study included 382 children presenting to the pediatric outpatient and emergency departments of District Headquarter Hospital Sheikhupura. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering sociodemographic, clinical, and household environmental characteristics. Associations with current ARD were examined using the chi-square test, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: Current ARD was reported in 312 children (81.7%), while 304 (79.6%) had experienced ARD during the preceding two weeks and 280 (73.3%) had recurrent episodes in the previous month. Paternal education was significantly associated with current ARD (p<0.001). Significant associations were also observed with the number of under-five children with ARD in the household (p<0.001), child comorbidity (p=0.047), and household surface-cleaning solution (p<0.001). Sex, residence, maternal education, parental occupation, immunization status, birth weight, household crowding, indoor pollution, traffic smoke, factory smoke, bird exposure, and housing material were not significantly associated with current ARD.

Conclusion: ARD was highly frequent among under-five children attending DHQ Hospital Sheikhupura. Household clustering, paternal education, comorbidity, and cleaning practices were associated with current ARD. Prospective multicenter studies with multivariable analysis are needed to identify independent predictors.