<![CDATA[Background: Acute respiratory infection (ARI) is common among young children, whose respiratory and immune defense mechanisms are still maturing. Household secondhand smoke exposure may increase susceptibility to recurrent respiratory infection by impairing mucociliary clearance and airway defense. Purpose: To examine the association between household secondhand smoke exposure and recurrent ARI among children aged 1–5 years. Method: This analytical observational study used a cross-sectional design and involved 93 children aged 1–5 years attending Balai Agung Community Health Centre, who were selected through purposive sampling. Household secondhand smoke exposure and recurrent ARI were assessed using a caregiver-completed questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the Pearson chi-square test, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Of the 93 children, 56 (60.2%) were classified as having low household secondhand smoke exposure and 37 (39.8%) as having moderate exposure, and recurrent ARI was reported in 69 children (74.2%). Recurrent ARI occurred in 32 of the 37 children with moderate exposure (86.5%) and in 37 of the 56 children with low exposure (66.1%). Household secondhand smoke exposure was significantly associated with recurrent ARI (p = 0.028). Conclusion: Household secondhand smoke exposure was significantly associated with recurrent ARI among children aged 1–5 years. Because the study used a cross-sectional design, this finding should be interpreted as an association rather than as evidence of causation.]]>
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