Factors associated with acute respiratory illness in day care children

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases 2010-09, Vol.42 (9), p.704-711
• Main Authors: Hatakka, Katja, Piirainen, Laura, Pohjavuori, Sara, Poussa, Tuija, Savilahti, Erkki, Korpela, Riitta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Child Day Care Centers - statistics & numerical data; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Educational Status; Environment; Female; Finland - epidemiology; Humans; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Otitis Media - epidemiology; Parents; Regression Analysis; Respiratory Tract Diseases - epidemiology; Risk Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0036-5548; 1651-1980
• DOI: 10.3109/00365548.2010.483476

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between child characteristics, parental and environmental factors and the occurrence of acute respiratory illness (ARI) and acute otitis media (AOM) among Finnish children attending day care centres (DCCs). The study was a cross-sectional questionnaire of 594 children aged 1-6 y from 18 DCCs in Helsinki, Finland. Recurrent (≥4 diseases/y) ARI was present in 44% of the 1-3-y-olds and 23% of the 4-6-y-olds, and recurrent AOM in 15% and 2.5%, respectively. Parent atopic disease (odds ratio (OR) 1.53, p = 0.033), mother's academic education (OR 1.77, p = 0.008) and a medium length of DCC attendance compared to a short period (OR 1.67, p = 0.049) increased, while furry pets (OR 0.44, p = 0.003) and older child age (OR 0.38, p < 0.001) reduced the risk of recurrent ARI. Recurrent ARI (OR 3.96, p = 0.008), mother's academic education (OR 5.02, p = 0.003), and a medium length of DCC attendance compared to a short period (OR 3.34, p = 0.044) increased, while partial breastfeeding ≥6 months (OR 0.20, p = 0.002) and older child age (OR 0.05, p < 0.001) reduced the risk of recurrent AOM. Parental and environmental factors had a significant impact on recurrent ARI and AOM episodes in children attending DCCs. These risk factors should be considered in future studies intending to reduce DCC infections.