Abstract

This study aimed to identify factors associated with pneumonia in children under 5 years old at
the Department of Pediatrics, Kampala International University Hospital. This is a quantitative
cross-sectional study. Simple random sampling was used to select study participants, and data
were collected using a questionnaire. Data were collected and recorded using Microsoft Excel and
analyzed using SPSS version 16.The analyzed data were then presented in tabular form. According
to my research, more than half (52%) of study participants had poor knowledge about pneumonia
and its risk factors, while 48% had good knowledge. The majority (35.00%) think that pneumonia
is dangerous while 25.00%, 21.00% and 19.00% think that pneumonia is very dangerous, not
dangerous and don't know.81.00% think it is necessary and 19.00% think it is not necessary. It is
necessary to take children with pneumonia to a medical facility. The majority (75.00%) had a good
attitude towards doctors' prescriptions, while 25.00% had a bad attitude. More than half (53.00%)
said they had heard of the pneumonia vaccine. The majority (57.00%) said they would take their
child to a health facility within 24 hours, while 43.00% would take their child to a health facility
within 24 hours. 60% of the respondents would give medication before admission while 19.00%,
12.00% and 9.00% would breastfeed, do nothing and give their baby liquid food/water
respectively. The majority (81.00%) said they would first take their child to the nearest medical
center, while 12.00% and 7.00% would take their child to see religious leaders and traditional
practitioners. More than half of the mothers in the study had little knowledge about pneumonia
and its risk factors, and the majority considered pneumonia dangerous. Most take their children
for formal medical examinations and most have a good attitude towards medical professionals'
prescriptions. Poor health-seeking behaviors existed among study participants. The majority
arrived at a medical facility after 24 hours and self-treated before seeking formal medical advice