EXPLORING THE RISK FACTORS REGARDING PNEUMONIA AMONG CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE YEARS

Abstract

Background: Pneumonia is a leading cause of mortality among children under-five years of age globally. The WHO (2014) has reported that indoor air pollution caused by cooking and heating with biomass fuel, living in crowed homes and parenting smoking are risk factors of pneumonia. Objective: To Identify the risk factors of pneumonia and to explore the different strategies to reduce the risk of pneumonia. Methodology: A case control study was carried out among the mothers having under-5 years children who were admitted in the pediatric ward of LUH Hospital in 2025. A convenience sampling technique was used to select children with pneumonia matched on age, sex and setting. A semi-structured interview consisting of questions related to risk factors for pneumonia was used to collect data from mothers of both cases and controls. Results: The study involved a total of 45 participants, with females representing 55.55% and males 44.45% of the population. All the patients suffering from pneumonia were from rural areas, where most of the population lacks formal education and awareness about pneumonia and its risk factors. The distribution of affected individuals by age showed that 26.7% were aged 1–11 months, 20% were 12–23 months, another 20% were 24–35 months, 15.6% were 36–47 months, and 17.8% were above 48 months. These findings highlight that children under one year of age are at the highest risk. The study emphasizes that the prevalence of pneumonia is strongly associated with lack of knowledge, poor health practices, and low awareness in underserved rural communities. Conclusion: This study was conducted to exploring the risk factors for pneumonia in children among the age of five years. Overall, the study highlights which risk factors most significantly affect patients. By addressing these insights through targeted educational programs and training, the impact of pneumonia risk factors can be reduced.