Factors causing Pneumonia among The Elderly in Ban Tha Khon Yang, Tha Khon Yang Sub-district, Kantharawichai District, MahaSarakham Province

Abstract

 This study aimed to investigate the factors contributing to the development of pneumonia among the elderly population in Ban Tha Khon Yang, Tha Khon Yang Sub-district, Kantharawichai District, Maha Sarakham Province. A retrospective descriptive study was conducted through questionnaires to individuals aged more than 60 years old. The total number was 138 participants, of which 39 had previously suffered from pneumonia, while 99 had no history of the disease. The participants were selected through simple random sampling techniques. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, employing logistic regression analysis to determine the relationship between variables. The results were presented as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals at a statistical significance level of 0.05.

The findings revealed that the majority of the pneumonia group were male (51.3%), with ages ranging from 65 to 69 years (48.7%). In contrast, the control group predominantly consisted of females (56.6%), with ages between 60 and 64 years (43.4%). The study identified smoking and alcohol consumption as significant risk factors for the development of pneumonia among the elderly in the studied area (p-value < 0.05). Individuals with smoking exposed and alcohol consumption were found to have a 2.969 and 2.462 folds higher risk of developing pneumonia, respectively, compared to the control. Based on the results, it is crucial for healthcare providers in the local community to focus on educating the elderly population about the risk factors associated with pneumonia, particularly smoking and alcohol consumption, to reduce the incidence of the disease among this vulnerable group.