title: Profiling acute respiratory tract infections in children from assam, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are leading global cause of under-five mortality and morbidity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To elicit the prevalence and risk factors associated with ARI among under-five children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A community-based cross-sectional study was undertaken in 21 registered urban slums of Guwahati in Assam to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with ARI among 370 under-five children from 184 households and 370 families.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of ARI was found to be 26.22%; infants and female children were more affected. Majority of the ARI cases were from nuclear families (84.54%), living in kutcha houses (90.72%) with inadequate ventilation (84.54%), overcrowded living condition (81.44%), with kitchen attached to the living room (65.98%) and using biomass fuel for cooking (89.69%). ARI was significantly associated with ventilation, location of kitchen in household; presence of overcrowding, nutritional status, and primary immunization status also had impacts on ARI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study had identified a high prevalence of the disease among under-fives. It also pointed out various socio-demographic, nutritional, and environmental modifiable risk factors which can be tackled by effective education of the community.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Mata Gujri Memorial Medical College, Kishanganj, Bihar, India.
authors.forename: Farzana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: Ratna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sarma
authors.forename: Arup
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Debroy
authors.forename: Sumit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kar
authors.forename: Ranabir
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pal
keywords: Acute respiratory infections; Immunization; Nutrition; Overcrowding; Under-five children