GASTROENTERITIS AND ACUTE RESPIRATORY-INF ECTIONS AMONG CHILDREN UP TO 5 YEARS OLD IN AREA OF SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL, 1986-1987 .1. ACUTE RESPIRATORY-INFECTIONS

A probabilistic sample of children up to 5 years old was studied (n=46 8). The epidemiological survey was carried out in five areas in the mu nicipality of S. Paulo (Brazil), from March 1986 to May 1987. Data wer e obtained through household interviews once a month during one year S ome of the most relevant socioeconomic characteristics of the children 's families are: low family income ''per capita''; 29.3% of the parent s were migrants with a mean period of residence in S. Paulo city of 18 .6 years; 40% of the families had access exclusively to public or phil anthropic health care services. Among the children included in the res earch, 87.3% were eutrophic, 94% were fully vaccined, 90.6% had never been hospitalized as a consequence of acute respiratory infections (AR I). During the follow rtp of 1 year 554 episodes of ARI with mean of 6 .8 days of duration were identified The Incidence of ARI was 11.8 epis odes per 100 children/month. The most vulnerable age group consisted o f children up to one year of age. Thirty six percent of the ARI events were followed by at least one other case in the household. The index case in 53% of these cases were children up to 6 years old. Around 52. 6% of the episodes did not require a medical assistance, 46.7% were as sisted in ambulatory 4 cases (0.7%) have had hospital treatment and on ly one died. The most frequent therapeutical conduct regarding childre n submitted to medical care assistance was the prescription of antibio tics and expectorants. Some factors related to social-economic status and personal background such as living conditions and history of previ ous respiratory diseases were associated with higher incidence of ARI.