Adherencia terapéutica en niños menores de 5 años con enfermedades respiratorias agudas en el hospital básico San Vicente de Paúl.

Abstract

Currently, acute respiratory illnesses (ARIs) are more common in children, and their outcomes depend largely on various factors, including treatment adherence. The overall objective of this study was to evaluate risk factors associated with therapeutic adherence in children under 5 years of age with ARIs admitted to the San Vicente de Paúl Basic Hospital from March to May 2025, through a review of medical records and surveys, to identify the impact on children's health. A prospective, descriptive, observational study was conducted, with surveys administered to the children's caregivers and a review of medical records. The most common diseases in this study group were identified as pneumonia (72.1%) and bronchopneumonia (20.9%). Factors influencing adherence to pharmacological therapy included preference for using natural remedies over traditional medicine (2.3%). The level of adherence among children's caregivers was 34.9%, with a secondary education level of 25.6%, and those who did not resort to self-medication (27.9%). Long waits at health centers (16.3%) were observed. It was found that most cases of IRAS occurred in the 0–12 month age range, and 55.8% of cases were recorded in urban areas. Several factors were identified as being associated with the onset of these diseases, including air pollution (30.2%), contact with pets (23.3%), lack of breastfeeding (60.5%), incomplete vaccination schedule (67.4%), previous hospitalizations for pneumonia or other respiratory infections (30.2%), and the presence of comorbidities (16.3%). Risk factors that were statistically significantly associated with therapeutic adherence and related to respiratory diseases (p>0.05) were the use of natural remedies, breastfeeding, and an incomplete vaccination schedule. Factors that did not show a statistically significant association include aspects related to educational level, economic status, access to and quality of health services, caregiver behavior, and medical history. However, despite not being statistically significant, the high frequency of these factors in the study population is relevant to understanding the context in which respiratory infections develop and the challenges of treatment adherence.