Determinants of Respiratory Rate Trajectory and Recovery Time in Under-Five Children With Severe Pneumonia: A Joint Modeling Approach.

We modeled the trajectories of respiratory rate and recovery time among children under 5 years of age admitted to at Arba Minch General Hospital, Southern Ethiopia. A retrospective study design was conducted on 201 patients, and a joint modeling approach was adopted. Results revealed that a higher value of the respiratory rate is associated with a lower hazard of recovery (α = -.067, P-value < .05). Severity of pneumonia, presence of danger signs and presence of hyperactive airway disease (P-value < .05 for each) were the factors associated with the evolution of respiratory rate. Patients with moderate and severe levels of malnutrition had 69% (Adjusted Hazard Ratio (AHR) = 0.31, 95% CI 0.098-0.842) and 97.4% (AHR = 0.026, 95% CI 0.005-0.106) lower hazard of recovery, respectively. Patients with comorbidities and a history of tuberculosis had a 55.9% (AHR = 0.441, 95% CI 0.279-0.689) and 80.2% (AHR = 0.198, 95% CI 0.081-0.418) lower hazard of recovery, respectively.