Multicenter Survey on the Economic Burden of Pediatric Allergic Rhinitis

Do Youn Kong; Kyung Won Kim; Woo Kyung Kim; Taek Ki Min; Yong Mean Park; Jae Ouk Ahn; Hyeon Jong Yang; Hye Yung Yum; Hae Sun Yoon; You Hoon Jeon; Soon-Man Kwon; Bok Yang Pyun

doi:10.7581/pard.2012.22.2.138

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This article has been corrected. See "Erratum: Multicenter Survey on the Economic Burden of Pediatric Allergic Rhinitis" in Volume 22 on page 317.

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Kong, Kim, Kim, Min, Park, Ahn, Yang, Yum, Yoon, Jeon, Kwon, and Pyun: Multicenter Survey on the Economic Burden of Pediatric Allergic Rhinitis

Original Article

Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease

Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease 2012; 22(2): 138-146.

Published online: 30 June 2012

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7581/pard.2012.22.2.138

Multicenter Survey on the Economic Burden of Pediatric Allergic Rhinitis

Do Youn Kong, MD¹, Kyung Won Kim, MD², Woo Kyung Kim, MD³, Taek Ki Min, MD¹, Yong Mean Park, MD⁴, Jae Ouk Ahn, MD⁵, Hyeon Jong Yang, MD¹, Hye Yung Yum, MD⁶, Hae Sun Yoon, MD⁷, You Hoon Jeon, MD¹, Soon-Man Kwon, MD⁸, Bok Yang Pyun, MD¹

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

²Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

³Department of Pediatrics, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.

⁴Department of Pediatrics, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

⁵Medical Informatics & Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea.

⁶Atopy Clinic, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.

⁷Department of Pediatrics, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea.

⁸Department of Health Policy and Management, Seoul National University School of Public Health, Seoul, Korea.

Corresponding author (ilove902@hanmail.net)

Received 27 September 2011 Revised 13 October 2011 Accepted 25 October 2011

Abstract

Purpose

The prevalence of allergic rhinitis is rapidly increasing and results in relatively high socio-economic burden on their family and community. However, studies on the economic burden of pediatric allergic rhinitis in Korea are limited. Therefore, we conducted this study to investigate the impact of pediatric allergic rhinitis on economic burden.

Methods

Two hundred sixty two children with allergic rhinitis were enrolled in 6 secondary or tertiary medical centers in Seoul from July to September, 2008. We collected data of the economic burden of allergic rhinitis (direct medical costs, direct nonmedical costs, and indirect costs) by face to face questionnaire survey. We compared the economic burden according to the severity and the duration of allergic rhinitis.

Results

The mean age of subjects was 6.54 years, and male were 174 (66.4%). Direct medical costs (10,000 Korean Won/yr) were 177.75, and direct nonmedical costs were 57.92. Although, there was no statistical significance, direct medical costs showed increasing trends in severe allergic rhinitis.(P=0.053) In addition, direct medical costs were positively correlated with duration of allergic rhinitis.(R=0.195, P=0.002). About 17% of the parents who care the allergic rhinitis children experienced the work absence due to their child's illness.

Conclusion

The economic burdens of allergic rhinitis were positively correlated with the severity and duration of illness. Particularly costs for alternative medicine including oriental medicine were related with severity and duration allergic rhinitis. Therefore, special efforts for education with evidence based treatment strategy are necessary to decrease the economic burden of allergic rhinitis.

Keywords: Allergic rhinitis, Direct costs, Pediatric allergy, Burden

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1

Direct medical costs were positively correlated with duration of allergic rhinitis. (R=0.195, P=0.002) KRW, Korean Won (the currency of South Korea).

Fig. 2

(A) Western medical costs were not correlated with duration of allergic rhinitis. (R=-0.002, P=0.966) (B) Herbal medical costs were positively correlated with duration of allergic rhinitis. (R=0.172, P=0.003) (C) Complementary medical costs were positively correlated with duration of allergic rhinitis. (R=0.144, P=0.013) KRW, Korean Won (the currency of South Korea).

Fig. 3

Direct nonmedical costs were not correlated with duration of allergic rhinitis. (R=0.003, P=0.968) KRW, Korean Won (the currency of South Korea).

Table 1

Demographics of 262 Children with Allergic Rhinitis in Seoul

Values are presented as mean±SD or number (%).

AR, allergic rhinitis.

Table 2

Economic Burden of 262 Patients with Allergic Rhinitis and Their Family

Values are presented as mean±SD or number (%).

KRW, Korean Won (the currency of South Korea).

Table 3

Comparison of Economic Burden of 262 Patients with Allergic Rhinitis and Their Family according to the Severity of Allergic Rhinitis

KRW, Korean Won (the currency of South Korea).

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