Sociodemographic and environmental factors in infants under one year of age hospitalized for acute bronchiolitis: case-control study

Abstract

Inequity in access to healthcare and environmental conditions are factors that affect health.

Objective: To analyze sociodemographic and environmental factors in infants under 1 year of age admitted due to acute bronchiolitis.

Patients and Method: Retrospective case-control study conducted in a public pediatric hospital. Cases were infants under 1 year of age hospitalized due to bronchiolitis and controls were infants of the same age hospitalized due to non-respiratory pathologies, matched by origin and date of consultation. Incomplete medical records were excluded, as well as cases in which parents could not be contacted by telephone. The variables analyzed were age, gender, comorbidities, nutritional status, exclusive breastfeeding, socioeconomic level, exposure to environmental and tobacco smoke, living less than 100 meters from a high-traffic area, and living with siblings under 10 years. Data were analyzed with SPSS, using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: A total of 200 cases and 200 controls were included. In the multivariate analysis, factors associated with hospitalization were the lack of exclusive breastfeeding at 3 months of age (OR = 2 [1.1-3.8]), exposure to tobacco (OR = 1.8 [1.2-3]), age less than 6 months(OR = 2 [1.3-3.2]), and living with siblings under 10 years of age (OR = 1.7 [95% CI 1.2-2.6]).

Conclusions: The absence of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 3 months of life, living with smokers, age less than 6 months and living with siblings under 10 years of age were the sociodemographic and environmental risk factors independently associated with hospitalization due to bronchiolitis.