Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 11, 2025
Protocol and Guidelines for Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound in Diagnosing Neonatal Pulmonary Diseases Based on International Expert Consensus
Published on: March 6, 2019
Pneumonia among under-five children in Alexandria, Egypt: a case-control study
Noha Fadl1, Ayat Ashour2, Yasmine Yousry Muhammad2
1Department of Family Health, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. nohaosama@alexu.edu.eg.
Insights
Pneumonia in young children is a significant health issue. Key risk factors identified include young age, male gender, low birth weight, poor home ventilation, and outdoor air pollution.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Pneumonia is a major public health concern in children under five.
- Limited research exists on pneumonia risk factors in Egypt.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify risk factors for pneumonia in children under five in Alexandria, Egypt.
Main Methods:
- An observational case-control study was conducted with 660 mothers (330 cases, 330 controls).
- Data on child-related, socio-demographic, and environmental factors were collected via questionnaires.
Main Results:
- Nine factors were significantly associated with childhood pneumonia.
- Key risk factors include: age ≤ 12 months, male gender, birth order ≥ 4, low birth weight, prematurity, delivery at home or public hospital, concomitant illness, poor home aeration, and exposure to outdoor air pollution.
Conclusions:
- Several factors are significantly linked to pneumonia in young children.
- Identifying these risk factors is crucial for developing effective interventions to reduce the burden of childhood pneumonia in Egypt.
Background:
Pneumonia among under-five children constitutes a major public health concern. Studies examining risk factors for pneumonia in Egypt are limited.
Aim:
To identify risk factors of pneumonia among under-five children in Alexandria, Egypt.
Methods:
An observational case-control study was conducted over a 5-month period (September 2017-January 2018) in three main pediatric hospitals in Alexandria. A predesigned questionnaire was used to interview 660 mothers of under-five children (330 pneumonia cases and 330 control). The questionnaire included potential risk factors for pneumonia which were categorized into child-related factors, socio-demographic factors, and environmental factors.
Results:
The mean age of the children was 23.14 ± 18.61 months with a range of 1-59 months. Nearly two-thirds (58.5%) were boys. Nine factors were found to be independently associated with pneumonia: age ≤ 12 months (OR = 1.925; 95% CI, 1.356-2.733; P < 0.001), male gender (OR = 1.646; 95% CI, 1.162-2.332; P = 0.005), birth order ≥ 4 (OR = 2.154; 95% CI, 1.282-3.617; P = 0.004), low birth weight (OR = 2.562; 95% CI, 1.718-3.821; P < 0.001), prematurity (OR = 2.019; 95% CI, 1.154-3.531; P = 0.014), place of delivery either at home (OR = 5.669; 95% CI, 1.063-30.237; P = 0.042) or at a public hospital (OR = 1.616; 95% CI, 1.131-2.310; P = 0.008), presence of concomitant illness (OR = 1.902; 95% CI, 1.043-3.469; P = 0.036), poor home aeration (OR = 3.586; 95% CI, 1.971-6.522; P < 0.001), and exposure to outdoor air pollution (OR = 2.403; 95% CI, 1.417-4.076; P = 0.001).
Conclusion:
Several risk factors were significantly related to pneumonia among under-five children. Identifying such factors is important for developing interventions to reduce pneumonia burden among under-five in Egypt.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Pneumonia I: Introduction
Risk Factors
Various factors influence the likelihood of developing pneumonia. Age plays a crucial role, with infants, children under two, and individuals over 65 at increased risk due to their...
01:30Pneumonia III: Complications and Assessment
01:29Pneumonia II: Pathophysiology
01:28Pneumonia IV: Management
Bacterial Pneumonia Treatment
For bacterial pneumonia, antibiotics serve as the cornerstone of therapy. Initial treatment often begins with empirical antibiotics, tailored to the anticipated causative organism and adjusted based on culture results. Key antibiotic choices include:
01:30Pneumonia V: Nursing management and Prevention
The nurse must practice strict medical asepsis and adhere to infection control guidelines to minimize healthcare-associated infections.
Enhance airway patency
Position the patient correctly to facilitate drainage of the affected lung segments. Manual or mechanical percussion and vibration can also be employed....
01:29Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...