Dietary Factors Associated With Wheezing and Allergic Rhinitis in Schoolchildren From Cuernavaca Mexico

Abstract

TAB3-PD-03 The effect of dietary factors on asthma is controversial. This study examined food consumption in relation to wheezing and allergic rhinitis among schoolchildren participating in the ISAAC Phase 3 Study. Baseline questionnaire data, including 45 food items were recorded by parents of 5238 children 6 to 14 years of age living in Cuernavaca, Mexico, occurrence of respiratory symptoms (more than 3 episodes of wheezing, wheezing in the last 12 months, and symptoms of allergic rhinitis) were considered. Frequency of food intake (never and almost never vs. weekly and daily) was obtained by questionnaire and dietary indexes were constructed using analysis of hierarchic clusters. The association between the different dietary indexes and respiratory symptoms was evaluated using logistic regression models. Results: After adjusting for sex, passive smoking, respiratory infection after birth, humidity at home, cockroaches, animals at home in the first years of life, and family history of asthma, children who had an intake of nuts and cereals had lower risk of current wheezing (OR = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.67–0.95 and OR = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.45–0.96, respectively). The consumption of fruits and vegetables had a protective role for allergic rhinitis (OR = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.79–0.97). However children who had a higher consumption of fast food or “junk food” had greater risk of wheezing without cold (OR = 2.22; 95% CI, 1.03–4.74) and allergic rhinitis without cold (OR = 1.51; 95% CI, 1.11–2.04). No other food was significantly associated. Conclusions: Dietary factors appears to affect the risks of respiratory symptoms in our population. While fast food consumption was strongly associated with current wheezing without cold, a “healthy diet”, rich in cereals and fruits and vegetables, had a protective role.