Acute Respiratory Infections: A Longitudinal Study of 151 Children in Burkina-Faso

Abstract

A longitudinal study of 151 children under five years of age was performed in a rural village of Burkina-Faso (West Africa). During systematic examinations by a physician during the rainy season, 44% of the children were found to be ill and 59% of these had an acute respiratory infection (ARI). During the dry season, the rates were 48% and 73% respectively. Weekly interviews by a field worker showed 6.2 attacks of ARI during the six months of the rainy season and 7.0 during the six months of the dry season. Risk factors for ARI were malnutrition assessed by arm circumference, and a high birth rank. At the 'field-dispensary', ARI accounted for 41% of the visits; lower respiratory infections (LRI) accounted for 24%, similar to the proportion of LRI among illnesses found during the systematic examination.

Potential interventions for preventing pneumonia among young children in developing countries: promoting maternal education

“…Data on the impact of education on ARI morbidity in children below 5 are also available from epidemiologic studies in Ethiopia and Burkina Faso. In neither country could a relation be found (Frey & Wall 1977;Lang et al 1986). …”

“…1990; Vathanophas et at. 1990;Frey & Wall 1977;Lang et al 1986). These results do not mean that one has to conclude that crowding or smoking have nothing to do with ARI morbidity.…”

“…Another characteristic of a number of such epidemiologic studies is their selection of morbidity as outcome measure instead of mortality. Many of the studies on ARI have concentrated on the impact of intensive crowding in households, indoor air pollution resulting from wood burning and smoking, and secondary infections in households (Pi0 et al 1985;Kendall & Leeder 1985;Frey & Wall 1977;Lang et al 1986;Pandey et al 1989;Selwyn 1990). In several of these studies attention has been paid to the role of maternal education in ARI morbidity, but crowding and indoor air pollution are not mentioned as factors which can explain the education-morbidity relation.…”

Gastroenterites e infecções respiratórias agudas em crianças menores de 5 anos em área da região Sudeste do Brasil, 1986-1987: I - Infecções respiratórias agudas

“…A multiplicidade das formas clínicas, assim como, dos agentes envolvidos na determinação das IRA, dificultam sobremaneira a elaboração de estratégias simples e efetivas para seu controle 1,4,5,10,15 .…”

“…A duração média das IRA (6,8 dias) encontrada na presente pesquisa é pouco menor do que aquela mostrada na literatura 15,18 , possivelmente por refletir, ao menos em parte, a pequena gravidade dos casos identificados. Fortalece essa impressão o fato de 53,8% dos casos não demandarem serviços de saúde e somente 4 crianças necessitarem tratamento hospitalar, com um único óbito.…”