Occurrence of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children under five years in Igbo-Ora during the period January 1-28, 1999 Best Igbo-Ora project

Abstract

A descriptive study to determine the occurence of ARl in children under five years and the management given by mothers in Igbo-Ora, a town in Western Nigeria was undertaken. A total of 186 mothers were interviewed to determine prevalence, predisposing factors, identification of symptoms and subsequent management of the condition. Occurrence of ARl was 23.7% of sample population out of which 68.2% were below two years of age. Significant predisposing factors associated were site of cooking, type of cooking fuel and ventilation of the home. 29% of mothers were able to correctly identify symptoms of ARl and there was a statistically significant association between the age of mother and correct identification of symptoms. Concerning management, 36% of mothers claimed they would present at a health center, 32.8% would buy drugs from the chemist and 15.1% would use herbal concotions.