Acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in under-five children worldwide. Assam has around 2500 river islands (locally called Chars/Chaporis) in the Brahmaputra River with socioeconomically deprived inhabitants lacking access to basic health-care facilities. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 380 under-five children living in the Char areas of Tinsukia District to estimate the prevalence of ARI and determine the associated risk factors. The prevalence of ARI among under-five children was found to be 56.32%. Prevalence was significantly higher among children living in Dibru-Saikhowa island, with families having >2 children, belonging to socioeconomic class 5 (modified BG Prasad scale), having a positive history of smoking or ARI in family members, having homes with attached kitchens or using wood for cooking, inadequate ventilation or overcrowding and residences of katcha ghars.
Keywords: Acute respiratory tract infection; river islands (Char/Chaporis); under-five children.