Journal List > Pediatr Allergy Respir Dis > v.21(3) > 1033123

Kim, Urm, and Kim: Prevalence of Allergic Diseases and Risk Factors in Preschool Children, 2009

Abstract

Purpose

In Korea, there have been many epidemiologic studies about allergic diseases of school children, but so far only a few studies of preschool children have been done. Research on preschool children will be a great help to understand the epidemiology of the allergic diseases in the pediatric population. In this perspective, we researched the prevalence and risk factors of allergic diseases in preschool children in Jung-gu, Seoul.

Methods

A modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire survey was done on 917 (male, 492; female, 425) preschool children in Jung-gu area of Seoul in June, 2009. Parents or caregivers answered the questionnaires that asked about the prevalence of allergic diseases and the risk factors.

Results

For asthma, the prevalence of “wheeze, ever”, “diagnosis” and “treatment, last 12 months” were 18.4%, 5.8% and 2.8%, respectively. For allergic rhinitis (AR), the prevalence of “rhinitis, ever”, “diagnosis” and “treatment, last 12 months” were 31.8%, 16.2% and 12.9%, respectively. For atopic dermatitis (AD), the prevalence of “itchy rash, ever”, “diagnosis” and “treatment, last 12 months” were 26.1%, 34.3% and 19.0%, respectively. The risk factors of asthma were cesarean section delivery, use of antibiotics and history of bronchiolitis before the age of 2 years. The risk factor of AR was history of asthma. The risk factor of AD was parent allergy.

Conclusion

In comparison to preceding studies of preschool children in Seoul, the prevalence of allergic diseases is similar. In comparison to the studies of school children, the prevalence of AR was lower and the prevalence of AD was higher.

References

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Table 1.
Age and Sex Distribution of the Study Subjects
  No. %
Sex    
  Male/Female 492/425 53.7/46.3
Age (yr)    
  2 51 5.6
  3 122 13.3
  4 142 15.5
  5 210 22.9
  6 222 24.2
  7 170 18.5
Total 917 100
Table 2.
Prevalence of Allergic Diseases
  No. (%)
Asthma  
  Wheeze, ever 170 (18.4)
  Wheeze, last 12 mo 123 (13.3)
  Diagnosis, ever 54 (5.8)
  Treatment, last 12 mo 26 (2.8)
Allergic rhinitis  
  Rhinitis, ever 294 (31.8)
  Rhinitis, last 12 mo 243 (26.2)
  Diagnosis, ever 150 (16.2)
  Treatment, last 12 mo 119 (12.9)
Atopic dermatitis  
  Itchy rash, ever 242 (26.1)
  Itchy rash, last 12 mo 200 (21.6)
  Diagnosis, ever 318 (34.3)
  Treatment, last 12 mo 176 (19.0)
Table 3.
Risk Factors of Asthma (aOR)
  aOR 95% CI P -value
Sex      
  Male 1    
  Female 1.18 0.578–2.422 0.645
BMI      
  ≤85 percentile 1    
  >85 percentile 1.22 0.461–3.212 0.691
Delivery      
  Vaginal delivery 1    
  Cesarean section 2.08 1.006–4.316 0.048
Breast milk feeding period      
  None 1    
  ≤6 mo 1.36 0.528–3.510 0.688
  >6 mo 1.36 0.542–3.421 0.677
  Ever 1.35 0.584–3.139 0.480
Past history of AR dx.      
  No 1    
  Yes 2.27 0.357–14.449 0.385
Past history of AD dx.      
  No 1   1
  Yes 1.91 0.501–7.252 0.344
Past history of bronchiolitis under 2 yr of age      
  No 1    
  Yes 4.71 2.184–10.155 <0.001
Antibiotics (≥3 days in 1st yr)      
  None 1    
  1–2 0.61 0.247–1.519 0.228
  3–4 0.54 0.112–2.549 0.326
  ≥5 2.45 0.918–6.540 0.013
Maternal allergic diseases      
  No 1    
  Yes 0.57 0.112–2.944 0.505
Paternel allergic diseases      
  No 1    
  Yes 0.95 0.202–4.452 0.946
Maternal education      
  ≤High school graduate 1    
  >High school graduate 1.27 0.459–3.497 0.948
Paternal education      
  ≤High school graduate 1    
  >High school graduate 1.30 0.435–3.855 0.643
Older siblings      
  No 1    
  Yes 1.02 0.484–2.150 0.958
Younger siblings      
  No 1    
  Yes 0.92 0.413–2.028 0.826
Environmental tobacco smoking      
  No 1    
  Yes 0.80 0.370–1.745 0.581
Current pet ownership      
  No 1    
  Yes 0.33 0.039–2.868 0.317
Pet ownership in pregnancy or in infancy      
  No 1    
  Yes 1.05 0.215–5.101 0.954

aOR, adjusted odd ratio; CI, confidence interval; AR, allergic rhinitis; AD, atopic dermatitis; dx, diagnosis.

Table 4.
Risk Factors of Allergic Rhinitis (aOR)
  aOR 95% CI P -value
Sex      
  Male 1    
  Female 0.60 0.375–0.975 0.039
BMI      
  ≤85 percentile 1    
  >85 percentile 1.58 0.813–3.071 0.177
Delivery      
  Vaginal delivery 1    
  Cesarean section 1.50 0.928–2.412 0.098
Breast milk feeding period      
  None 1    
  ≤6 mo 0.76 0.420–1.391 0.600
  >6 mo 0.76 0.423–1.363 0.565
  Ever 0.75 0.445–1.272 0.288
Past history of asthma dx.      
  No 1    
  Yes 3.01 1.111–8.146 0.030
Past history of AD dx.      
  No 1    
  Yes 1.13 0.514–2.493 0.759
Past history of bronchiolitis under 2 yr of age      
  No 1    
  Yes 1.38 0.800–2.380 0.247
Antibiotics (≥3 days in 1st yr)      
  None 1    
  1–2 1.48 0.856–2.547 0.430
  3–4 2.62 1.199–5.732 0.152
  ≥5 2.35 1.111–4.967 0.271
Maternal allergic diseases      
  No 1    
  Yes 1.05 0.422–2.593 0.923
Paternel allergic diseases      
  No 1    
  Yes 2.15 0.896–5.135 0.087
Maternal education      
  ≤High school graduate 1    
  >High school graduate 1.37 0.715–2.614 0.344
Paternal education      
  ≤High school graduate 1    
  >High school graduate 1.24 0.621–2.466 0.545
Older siblings      
  No 1    
  Yes 1.03 0.624–1.684 0.922
Younger siblings      
  No 1    
  Yes 1.56 0.942–2.578 0.084
Environmental tobacco smoking      
  No 1    
  Yes 1.01 0.612–1.659 0.977
Current pet ownership      
  No 1    
  Yes 1.51 0.577–3.970 0.399
Pet ownership in pregnancy or in infancy      
  No 1    
  Yes 0.43 0.142–1.298 0.134

aOR, adjusted odd ratio; CI, confidence interval; AR, allergic rhinitis; AD, atopic dermatitis; dx, diagnosis.

Table 5.
Risk Factors of Atopic Dermatitis (aOR)
  aOR 95% CI P -value
Sex      
  Male 1    
  Female 1.11 0.786–1.568 0.554
BMI      
  ≤85 percentile 1    
  >85 percentile 0.79 0.472–1.332 0.380
Delivery      
  Vaginal delivery 1    
  Cesarean section 0.77 0.552–1.121 0.184
Breast milk feeding period      
  None 1    
  ≤6 mo 0.66 0.418–1.038 0.062
  >6 mo 0.89 0.579–1.360 0.620
  Ever 0.77 0.519–1.131 0.180
Past history of asthma dx.      
  No 1    
  Yes 0.75 0.282–1.991 0.562
Past history of AR dx.      
  No 1    
  Yes 0.33 0.134–0.812 0.016
Past history of bronchiolitis under 2 yr of age      
  No 1    
  Yes 1.24 0.792–1.943 0.347
Antibiotics (≥3 days in 1st yr)      
  None 1    
  1–2 1.18 0.783–1.767 0.934
  3–4 1.48 0.775–2.837 0.378
  ≥5 1.16 0.613–2.198 0.910
Maternal allergic diseases      
  No 1    
  Yes 3.64 1.558–8.507 0.003
Paternel allergic diseases      
  No 1    
  Yes 2.50 1.137–5.500 0.023
Maternal education      
  ≤High school graduate 1    
  >High school graduate 1.55 0.954–2.510 0.077
Paternal education      
  ≤High school graduate 1    
  >High school graduate 0.88 0.533–1.461 0.626
Older siblings      
  No 1    
  Yes 0.76 0.528–1.092 0.137
Younger siblings      
  No 1    
  Yes 1.18 0.817–1.715 0.374
Environmental tobacco smoking      
  No 1    
  Yes 0.95 0.660–1.377 0.800
Current pet ownership      
  No 1    
  Yes 0.85 0.407–1.763 0.657
Pet ownership in pregnancy or in infancy      
  No 1    
  Yes 1.22 0.623–2.406 0.558

aOR, adjusted odd ratio; CI, confidence interval; AR, allergic rhinitis; AD, atopic dermatitis; dx, diagnosis.

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