Abstract

Background: Severe pneumonia remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children under five years of age worldwide. Identifying factors associated with severe pneumonia is essential for developing effective treatment and prevention strategies to reduce childhood mortality. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of severe pneumonia and identify associated factors among children aged 2 months to 5 years at the Department of Pediatrics, Quy Hoa Central Hospital of Leprosy - Dermatology. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 261 children aged 2 months to 5 years, diagnosed with pneumonia from June 2024 to March 2025. Severe pneumonia was defined according to the diagnostic criteria issued by the Ministry of Health of Vietnam. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with severe pneumonia. Results: The prevalence of severe pneumonia among children aged 2 months to 5 years was 38.3%. Several factors were significantly associated with severe pneumonia, including malnutrition (OR = 2.67; 95% CI: 1.03–6.95; p = 0.026), prematurity (OR = 2.68; 95% CI: 1.29 - 5.58; p = 0.009), and exclusive breastfeeding