Abstract:
Pneumonia is the biggest single cause of childhood morbidity and mortality under the age of five years
in developing countries, including Ethiopia. A hospital based cross- sectional study was conducted with
the objective of determining the prevalence of pneumonia and its associated risk factors among underfive children admitted to Dangila primary hospital, northwest, Ethiopia. Socio-demographic,
environmental, nutrition and past co-morbidity related characteristics, and other clinical variables were
collected from 384 caregivers/mothers and of their under-five children using structured questionnaire
and patient records. Statuses of pneumonia ᴡas detected using rapid x-ray diagnostic detection
method. Data were analyzed using statistical package software for social sciences (SPSS) version 20.
Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the possible risk factors
of pneumonia among under-five children. Variables having p-value < 0.05 were considered as
statistically significant. From the total of 384 under five children included in this study, 68(17.7%)
were found to be pneumonia positive. A higher prevalence (31%) of pneumonia positive in this finding
ᴡas observed in age range of 37-59 months. Under–five children from from parents who used firewood
and charcoal as source of fuel for cooking were the most pneumonia affected as compared to children
whose families use other items as a source of fuel for cooking food. No pneumonia cases were detected
among households who were using electric power for food cooking. Under -five years old children ᴡho
lived in urban area and located on mothers back during cooking were more likely associated with
pneumonia than children who lived in rural area and outside the cooking house. Children from low
educational status of parents were more affected by pneumonia than Children from high educational
status of parents. In this study high prevalence of pneumonia was observed in children from smoker
households than children from non-smoker households. Keeping cattle in the living room was an
important risk factor for pneumonia positivity among under-five children. Partial breast feeder underfive children were more infected in pneumonia than those who were exclusive breast fed. Children were
breast fed less than six months were the most affected in pneumonia than children were breast fed 6 to
12months. Relatively higher prevalence rates of pneumonia were found among children who had history
of cough, fast breathing and difficulty in breathing, than those who did not report these clinical
manifestations. Children who had tonsillitis in the last two weeks were more likely to develop
pneumonia than Children who had no tonsillitis.
Keywords: Dangila, Ethiopia, Pneumonia, Prevalence, Risk factors, Under-five children