Abstract
Purpose
We investigated the effect of siblings on the development of allergic rhinitis (AR) in Korean adolescents.
Methods
A cross-sectional study of adolescents (n=3,271) aged 12 to 15 years was conducted at three middle schools in Seoul. Demographic and disease-related information was obtained through a questionnaire.
Results
The mean age of the subjects was 13.9±0.8 years comprising 48.7% males and 51.3% females. The percentage of the subjects who had ever been diagnosed with AR by physician was 30.7%. Subjects who had older sibling and who had younger sibling were 45.3% and 44.2% respectively. Subjects with older sibling were less likely to diagnose AR than subjects without older sibling (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57 to 0.84). Subjects with older sibling, even though with family history of allergic disease had protective effect compared to subjects without older sibling (aOR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.84). Subjects with younger sibling were more likely to diagnose AR than subjects without younger sibling (aOR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.49).
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