Prevalence of pneumonia and associated risk factors among neonates in selected health facilities in Wakiso district, Uganda

Abstract Background Pneumonia remains a significant challenge in Uganda, especially among neonates in health facilities, which barely have Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) in place. Whereas the Ministry of Health (MOH) has implemented the Integrated Community Case Management on three killer diseases, including pneumonia in all districts, it remains prevalent among neonates across the country. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of pneumonia among neonates in selected health facilities in Wakiso district, Uganda. Methods A cross-sectional study utilizing quantitative data collection methods was conducted among 342 mothers/caregivers. A structured questionnaire uploaded on the Kobo Collect application software was administered through face-to-face interviews to capture data on socio-demographic characteristics, environmental factors, and associated factors. A data abstraction form was used to collect data on neonatal factors from the maternal and neonatal health registers. Data was downloaded into Microsoft Excel and later imported into STATA version 17.0 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were performed to summarize continuous and categorical data. A modified Poisson regression model was used to establish the factors associated with pneumonia. Results The study revealed that 12.6% (43/342) of the neonates were diagnosed with pneumonia as recorded in the maternal and neonatal health registers. Marital status (APR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.85–0.96) and common source of energy for cooking (APR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.81–0.97), (APR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.88–0.99) were factors associated with neonatal pneumonia. However, attendance of antenatal care (APR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.03–1.23), prematurity (APR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.05–1.44), birthweight (APR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.01–1.16), knowledge level (APR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.03–1.18) and common cooking place (APR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.04–1.13) were positively associated with pneumonia among neonates. Conclusion There's a need to implement interventions targeted at improving neonatal health outcomes. These interventions should target caregivers who are married or cohabiting, do not attend antenatal care, have limited knowledge of pneumonia, those whose common energy source for cooking is charcoal, and those whose common cooking place is a kitchen attached to the living room.