Assessing knowledge and awareness of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTIs) among caregivers: A cross-sectional study

Lower Respiratory Tract Infection (LRTIs) is a serious medical condition that affects the airways and lungs and leads to respiratory complications even rarely death. LRTI is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in children in resource limited settings. Caregivers have an essential role in preventing, identifying early signs/symptoms and treatment LRTI in children. Gaps in caregiver’s knowledge can adversely affect child health outcomes leads to harmful disease conditions.  This community-based cross-sectional study evaluated caregivers' understanding of LRTIs and examined the effects of an educational intervention. The study included 134 caregivers of children under the age of 18 years. The study was conducted by collecting the information using a structure pre-questionnaire, followed by an awareness session and post-assessment questionnaire to measure change in knowledge. The findings revealed that awareness regarding viral causes, common symptoms such as cough and preventive measures as hand hygiene improved after the awareness session. The study highlights current knowledge gaps among caregivers and demonstrates that targeted educational initiatives can successfully improve awareness and promote preventive behavior, encouraging early care-seeking and better management of LRTIs in children.