TY - JOUR

T1 - Risk factors for acute respiratory tract infections in young Greenlandic children

AU - Koch, Anders

AU - Mølbak, Kåre

AU - Homøe, Preben

AU - Sørensen, Per

AU - Hjuler, Thomas

AU - Olesen, Mette Ehmer

AU - Pejl, June

AU - Pedersen, Freddy Karup

AU - Olsen, Ove Rosing

AU - Melbye, Mads

PY - 2003/8/15

Y1 - 2003/8/15

N2 - Acute respiratory infections cause considerable morbidity among Inuit children, but there is very little information on the risk factors for these infections in this population. To identify such factors, the authors performed a prospective community-based study of acute respiratory infections in an open cohort of 288 children aged 0-2 years in the town of Sisimiut, Greenland. Between July 1996 and August 1998, children were monitored weekly, and episodes of upper and lower respiratory tract infections were registered. Risk factor analyses were carried out using a multivariate Poisson regression model adjusted for age. Risk factors for upper respiratory tract infections included attending a child-care center (relative risk = 1.7 compared with home care) and sharing a bedroom with adults (relative risk = 2.5 for one adult and 3.1 for two adults). Risk factors for lower respiratory tract infections included being a boy (relative risk = 1.5), attending a child-care center (relative risk = 3.3), exposure to passive smoking (relative risk = 2.1), and sharing a bedroom with children aged 0-5 years (relative risk = 2.0 for two other children). Breastfeeding tended to be protective for lower respiratory tract infections. The population-attributable risk of lower respiratory tract infections associated with passive smoking and child-care centers was 47% and 48%, respectively. The incidence of acute respiratory infections among Inuit children may be reduced substantially through public health measures.

AB - Acute respiratory infections cause considerable morbidity among Inuit children, but there is very little information on the risk factors for these infections in this population. To identify such factors, the authors performed a prospective community-based study of acute respiratory infections in an open cohort of 288 children aged 0-2 years in the town of Sisimiut, Greenland. Between July 1996 and August 1998, children were monitored weekly, and episodes of upper and lower respiratory tract infections were registered. Risk factor analyses were carried out using a multivariate Poisson regression model adjusted for age. Risk factors for upper respiratory tract infections included attending a child-care center (relative risk = 1.7 compared with home care) and sharing a bedroom with adults (relative risk = 2.5 for one adult and 3.1 for two adults). Risk factors for lower respiratory tract infections included being a boy (relative risk = 1.5), attending a child-care center (relative risk = 3.3), exposure to passive smoking (relative risk = 2.1), and sharing a bedroom with children aged 0-5 years (relative risk = 2.0 for two other children). Breastfeeding tended to be protective for lower respiratory tract infections. The population-attributable risk of lower respiratory tract infections associated with passive smoking and child-care centers was 47% and 48%, respectively. The incidence of acute respiratory infections among Inuit children may be reduced substantially through public health measures.

KW - Child

KW - Cohort studies

KW - Eskimos

KW - Infection

KW - Respiratory tract infection

KW - Risk factors

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0043286865&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/aje/kwg143

DO - 10.1093/aje/kwg143

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 12915503

AN - SCOPUS:0043286865

VL - 158

SP - 374

EP - 384

JO - American Journal of Epidemiology

JF - American Journal of Epidemiology

SN - 0002-9262

IS - 4

ER -