RISK-FACTORS FOR COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA IN CHILDREN - A POPULATION-BASED CASE-CONTROL STUDY

Risk factors for community-acquired pneumonia were studied by collecti ng data from all pneumonia patients (n = 201) in a defined child popul ation between 3 months and 15 years of age during a surveillance perio d of 12 months, and from randomly selected healthy controls under 15 y ears of age (rr = 250) from the same area, A structured questionnaire was used, with 409 (176 patients and 233 controls) families responding in total. The chi-square test, and the univariate and multivariate lo gistic regression analyses were used, The confounding effects of gende r, age and place of acquisition were standardized, and the possible in teractions between these variables and each individual risk factor wer e calculated. In the risk factor analysis, the responders were classif ied into 2 age groups: under 5 years and 5-14 tears of age, In childre n under 5 Fears of age the significant risk factors were a history of recurrent respiratory infections during the past year [odds ratio (OR) 5.5], a history of wheezing episodes (OR 5.3), and a history of otiti s media and tympanocentesis before the age of 2 years (OR 3.6). In the older children, the significant risk factors were a history of recurr ent respiratory infections during the previous year (OR 3.0), and a hi story of wheezing periods at any age (OR 2.1). To sum up, a susceptibi lity to respiratory infections was found to be significantly associate d with community-acquired pneumonia, and no interactions with age, gen der or place of acquisition were significant. This trend was reflected by a history of wheezing and that of acute otitis media.