Abstract
We aimed to assess the association of household and classroom
determinants with students’ school absence due to respiratory tract
infections (RTI) among 253 students (4-11 years) of 20 classrooms. We
collected 71 absences; RTI incidence was very high during the study
period, 17.5-33.1 cases per 100 population. Having someone else at home
with respiratory symptoms was the most significant epidemiological
factor (OR=9.12, CI 95%=2.54-33.39), suggesting that households are
crucial for the transmission of RTI to the children. A positive but not
statistically significant association was observed between higher median
levels of CO2 and respiratory-related absences (OR=1.2,
CI 95%=0.98-1.46).