Factors Associated with Severe Respiratory Tract Infections among Children Hospitalized at Tha Sae Hospital, Chumphon Province
Keywords:
severe respiratory tract infection, children, caregivers, risk factorsAbstract
Background: Respiratory tract infections are among the most common health problems in children. Tha Sae Hospital, Chumphon Province, has unique sociocultural, economic, and environmental contexts; therefore, this study was conducted to investigate factors associated with severe respiratory tract infections in this setting.
Objective: To examine patient-related factors, caregiver-related factors, and caregivers’ knowledge associated with severe respiratory tract infections among children admitted to Tha Sae Hospital, Chumphon Province.
Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of caregivers of children diagnosed with respiratory tract infections and admitted to Tha Sae Hospital between June 1 and November 30, 2025. A total of 130 participants were enrolled. Data were collected through telephone interviews. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, namely frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, as well as the Chi-square test.
Results: Of the 130 children included in the study, 72 cases (55.0%) had severe respiratory tract infections, while 58 cases (45.0%) had non-severe infections. Most caregivers demonstrated a good level of knowledge regarding respiratory tract infections (85.4%). Factors significantly associated with severe respiratory tract infections were the presence of household smoking members (P = 0.022) and differences in caregivers’ age (P = 0.005).
Conclusion: The study found that household smoking exposure and caregivers’ age were significantly associated with severe respiratory tract infections among children.
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เนื้อหาและข้อมูลในบทความที่ลงตีพิมพ์ในมหาราชนครศรีธรรมราชเวชสาร ถือเป็นข้อคิดเห็นและความรับผิดชอบของผู้เขียนบทความโดยตรงซึ่งกองบรรณาธิการวารสาร ไม่จำเป็นต้องเห็นด้วย หรือร่วมรับผิดชอบใด ๆ
บทความ ข้อมูล เนื้อหา รูปภาพ ฯลฯ ที่ได้รับการตีพิมพ์ในมหาราชนครศรีธรรมราชเวชสาร ถือเป็นลิขสิทธิ์ของมหาราชนครศรีธรรมราชเวชสาร หากบุคคลหรือหน่วยงานใดต้องการนำทั้งหมดหรือส่วนหนึ่งส่วนใดไปเผยแพร่ต่อหรือเพื่อกระทำการใด จะต้องได้รับอนุญาตเป็นลายลักษณ์อักษรจากวารสารมหาราชนครศรีธรรมราชเวชสาร ก่อนเท่านั้น