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© 1994 Oxford University Press

research-article

Measurement of the Frequency and Severity of Childhood Acute Respiratory Infections through Household Surveys in Northern Ghana

DAVID A ROSS*,{dagger},, SHARON R A HUTTLY{dagger}, NICOLA DOLLIMORE*,{dagger} and FRED N BINKA*

*Ghana Vitamin A Supplementation Trials (VAST), Navrongo, Ghana
{dagger}Department of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine London, UK

Reprint requests to: Dr David A Ross, Department of Epidemiology and Population Sciences. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London WCIE 7HT,UK

Background. Methodological issues in the design and Interpretation of cross-sectional interview surveys of the prevalence of acute respiratory infections (ARI) were assessed among young children.

Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted In approximately 20 000 children in the north of Ghana. Approxi mately half were administered a questionnaire In which the initial questions about recent Illnesses were direct questions about the presence or absence of three specific ARt-related symptoms (cough, rapid breathing, difficulty breathing), while the other half were administered a questionnaire which star-ted with an open-ended question on whether the child was Ill, designed to elicit spontaneous responses. A 2-week recall period was used in addition to point prevalence questions for half of the children in each group, whIle 4 weeks was used for the other half. The results were compared with those from a longitudinal morbidity surveillance system In an adjacent population of children. The repeatability of the responses to each of the symptoms/conditions was assessed In a subsample of the children.

Results and conclusions. The point and period prevalence rates of ARI symptoms or conditions based on spontane ously elicited responses were more likely to be valid than those based on prompted responses. Furthermore, using a 2-week recall period appeared to give more valid period prevalence rates than a 4-week recall period. The repeatability of the various ARt questions was not high (kappas 0.14 to 0.49), irrespective of the questionnaire design. Whether these findings will also be true in other populations needs to be assessed.

Received 1 November 1993


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