Abstract
The social determinants are in line of production hospitalizations due pneumonia in infants. Then, the objective of this study was to investigate the main factors associated with hospitalization due to pneumonia in infants aged less than six months old. A prospective cohort enrolled all liveborn infants from Passo Fundo, in 2003, hospitalized during the first six months of life with radiographic diagnosis of pneumonia. Infants with congenital malformations and heart disease were excluded. The infant and ambient factors were combined with information on hospitalization, obtained from the hospital records. Analysis was performed by descriptive statistics, odds ratio and multivariable logistic regression model. From the 2,285 infants investigated, 82 (3.6%) were hospitalized due to pneumonia in the study period. Socioeconomic status C/D/E was identified as a determinant of hospitalization due to pneumonia, with relative risk up to six times higher than the status A/B. The presence of three or more alive children and breastfeeding demonstrated to be protective. The hospitalization due to pneumonia was determined by the socioeconomic status, requiring actions of reduction of its iniquity.
