<![CDATA[Acute respiratory infection (ARI) continues to pose a major public-health challenge for the elderly population. Indoor air quality can deteriorate when households are exposed to cigarette smoke and fumes from burning mosquito coils, a condition believed to heighten the risk of respiratory illness. This study examined whether such exposures were associated with ARI occurrence among elderly residents served by the Pagurawan Pesisir Public Health Center in Batu Bara Regency. A quantitative, cross-sectional approach was applied to a target population of 3,084 elderly individuals, from which 94 participants were drawn through purposive sampling. Information was gathered via questionnaire-based interviews and examined through univariate and bivariate procedures, applying the Chi-Square test at a 0.05 significance level. Findings indicated that ARI was present in 55 participants (58.5%), while cigarette-smoke exposure and mosquito-coil-smoke exposure were reported by 52 (55.3%) and 76 (80.9%) participants, respectively. Both exposures showed a statistically significant relationship with ARI: cigarette smoke (p=0.006; PR=1.880; 95% CI 1.195–2.958) and mosquito-coil smoke (p=0.003; PR=3.667; 95% CI 1.423–9.446). These findings confirm that household exposure to cigarette smoke and mosquito-coil smoke contributes to ARI risk in older adults, underscoring the value of smoke-free households, safer alternatives to coil-based mosquito control, and improved home ventilation as preventive strategies.]]>
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