THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTAL SMOKING BEHAVIOR AND THE INCIDENCE OF ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS (ARI) IN TODDLERS IN THE KALITANJUNG PUSKESMAS AREA CIREBON CITY

Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) are a major cause of morbidity and
mortality in children under five, especially in developing countries. One of the risk
factors is exposure to cigarette smoke from parents in the home environment. This
study aims to analyse the relationship between parental smoking behaviour and the
incidence of ARI in toddlers in the Kalitanjung Health Centre working area of
Cirebon City. The method used was quantitative with a cross-sectional design and
involved 92 respondents selected through proportional random sampling

technique. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analysed with the Chi-
Square test.

The results showed that toddlers with parents who had high smoking
behaviour had the most ARI (62.0%). In contrast, toddlers who did not experience
ARI generally came from parents with low smoking behaviour. The Chi-Square test
resulted in a p value = 0.000 (p < 0.05), indicating a significant relationship
between parental smoking behaviour and the incidence of ARI in toddlers. It is
recommended that parents do not smoke in the house to prevent ARI in children.