Knowledge and Attitude of Mothers towards Risk Factors for Acute Respiratory Infections among Hospitalized Under-five Children in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are the fourth major cause of morbidity and mortality among under-five children (U5-C) globally. However, essential information on mothers’ belief about risk factors that could predispose U5-C to these infections is scanty in Nigeria. Therefore, this study assessed the level of knowledge and attitude of mothers towards risk factors that contribute to the acquisition of ARIs among U5-C in Ibadan. A hospital-based case-control design was employed for this study. Two hundred and twenty U5-C each with ARI (cases) and 220 without ARI (controls) were selected from children visiting Oni memorial Children Hospital and University College Hospital, Ibadan. A pretested six-section questionnaire was administered to mothers in order to elicit information on their knowledge and attitude towards the different risk factors of ARIs among children under-five. Mean ages of mothers of cases and controls were 28.8±5.6 and 30.4±6.6 years respectively (p>0.05). Mean knowledge score among cases was 17.9±2.9 compared to 17.1±2.6 among controls (p>0.05). Mean attitude score among cases was 27.8 ± 4.4 compared to 28.5±4.6 among controls (p<0.05). Children of mothers with a positive attitude towards risk factors for ARIs were found to be 2 times at risk of ARIs (CI: 0.3-2.7). Mothers’ attitude may have contributed to an increased vulnerability to respiratory infections among cases. Therefore, increased awareness of the importance of good attitude towards risk factors for ARIs particularly in the indoor environment with regards to prevention and control of ARIs will be of significant importance.

Keywords: Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs), Attitude, Knowledge, Children under-five, Ibadan