Determinants of Acute Respiratory Infection among Under-Five Children in Rural Ethiopia

Introduction: In low- and middle-income nations, acute respiratory infection (ARI) is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality. According to some studies, Ethiopia has a higher prevalence of childhood acute respiratory infection, ranging from 16 % to 33.5 %. The goal of this study was to determine the risk factors for acute respiratory infection in children under the age of five in rural Ethiopia. Methods: : A cross-sectional study involving 7,911 children under the age of five from rural Ethiopia was carried out from January 18 to June 27, 2016. A two stage cluster sampling technique was used recruit study subjects and SPSS version 20 was used to extract and analyze data. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with a childhood acute respiratory infection. The multivariable logistic regression analysis includes variables with a p-value less than 0.2 during the bivariate logistic regression analysis. Adjusted odds ratios were used as measures of effect with a 95% confidence interval (CI) and variables with a p-value less than 0.05 were considered as significantly associated with an acute respiratory infection. Results: : The total ARI prevalence rate among 7,911 under-five children from rural Ethiopia was 7.8%, according to the findings of the study. The highest prevalence of ARI was found in Oromia (12.8 %), followed by Tigray (12.7 %), with the lowest frequency found in Benishangul Gumuz (2.4 %). A multivariable logistic regression model revealed that child from Poor household (AOR=2.170, 95% CI: 1.631-2.887), mother’s no education (AOR=2.050,95% CI: 1.017-4.133), mother’s Primary education (AOR=2.387, 95% CI:1.176-4.845), child had not received vitamin A (AOR=1.926, 95% CI:1.578-2.351), child had no diarrhea (AOR=0.257, 95% CI: 0.210-0.314), mothers not working (AOR=0.773, 95% CI:0.630-0.948), not stunted (AOR=0.663, 95% CI: 0.552-0.796), and not improved water source (AOR=1.715, 95% CI: 1.395-2.109). Similarly, among under-five children, the age of the child, the month of data collection, anemia status, and the province were all substantially linked to ARI. Conclusions: : Childhood ARI morbidity is a serious health challenge in rural Ethiopia, according to this study, with demographic, socioeconomic, nutritional, health, and environmental factors all having a role. As a result, regional governments, healthcare staff, and concerned groups should place a priority on reducing ARI, and attempts to solve the issue should take these variables into account.