Survey of food allergy in elementary school children in Bucheon-city and relationship between food allergy and other allergic diseases

Jae Young Park; Ga Young Park; Young Shin Han; Mee Yong Shin

doi:10.4168/aard.2013.1.3.266

Journal List > Allergy Asthma Respir Dis > v.1(3) > 1058968

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Park, Park, Han, and Shin: Survey of food allergy in elementary school children in Bucheon-city and relationship between food allergy and other allergic diseases

Original Article

Allergy, Asthma & Respiratory Disease 2013; 1(3): 266-273.

Published online: 30 September 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4168/aard.2013.1.3.266

Survey of food allergy in elementary school children in Bucheon-city and relationship between food allergy and other allergic diseases

Jae Young Park¹, Ga Young Park¹, Young Shin Han², Mee Yong Shin¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea.

²Environmental Health Center for Atopic Diseases, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.

Correspondence to: Mee Yong Shin. Department of Pediatrics, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, 170 Jomaru-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon 420-767, Korea. Tel: +32-621-5406, Fax: +82-32-621-5560, smy0218@schmc.ac.kr

Received 21 February 2013 Revised 19 July 2013 Accepted 20 July 2013

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/).

Abstract

Purpose

This study was performed to evaluate the current status of food allergy (FA) and to analyze the relationship between allergy to individual foods and other allergic diseases in elementary school children.

Methods

We performed a questionnaire survey for FA, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis using International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaires. A total of 1,929 students in 3 elementary schools were enrolled.

Results

A total of 324 students (16.8%) had ever suffered from FA symptoms more than once. Only 64 out of 324 students (19.8%) were diagnosed with FA by doctors. The presence of soy allergy was associated with the increased risk of bronchial asthma (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 5.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.87 to 18.59). The presence of egg (aOR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.04 to 3.52) and wheat allergy (aOR, 5.45; 95% CI, 1.94 to 15.36) were associated with the increased prevalence of allergic rhinitis. The allergic symptoms to fruits/tomato was associated with the increased risk of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms (aOR, 2.98; 95% CI, 1.18 to 7.47). The allergic symptoms to egg (aOR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.22 to 4.29), wheat (aOR, 4.91; 95% CI, 1.86 to 12.95), and shrimp/crab (aOR, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.37 to 4.49) were associated with the presence of atopic dermatitis.

Conclusion

The prevalence of FA of elementary school students in Bucheon-city was 16.8%. A significant positive association between the suspected foods and the other allergic diseases was found. Soy allergy was significantly correlated to having bronchial asthma and fruits/tomato allergy correlated with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.

Keywords: Food allergy, Elementary school children

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1

The number of students with food allergic symptoms, diagnosis, and present restriction for suspected foods.

Table 1

Demographic characteristics of the study subjects (n=1,929)

Values are presented as mean±standard deviation.

Table 2

Prevalence of food allergy in elementary school children (n=1,929)

FA, food allergy.

Table 3

Food allergy symptoms in relation to suspected offending food

Sx, symptoms.

Table 4

The prevalence of allergic disease in food allergy (FA) group vs. nonfood allergy group

Data were calculated by logistic regression multivariate analysis. P<0.05.

aOR, adjusted odds ratio; CI, confidence interval; BA, bronchial asthma; AR, allergic rhinitis; AD, atopic dermatitis.

^*aOR: adjusted by age, sex, body mass index.

Table 5

Relationship between suspected foods of causing the symptoms and prevalence of allergic diseases

Data were calculated by logistic regression multivariate analysis. P<0.05.

BA, bronchial asthma; AD, atopic dermatitis; AR, allergic rhinitis; ARC, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis; aOR, adjusted odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.

^*aOR: adjusted by age, sex.

Notes

This study was financially supported by 'Epidemiological survey of Asthma & Atopic diseases' in Bucheon (2011).

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