Abstract
BackgroundThis study investigated risk factors associated with food allergy or food intolerance among school children in two Swedish towns.MethodsQuestionnaires were used to collect data on self-reported food allergy or intolerance (SRFA) in children aged 7–8 years from Mölndal in southwestern Sweden and Kiruna in northern Sweden. It included questions about specific food allergy or intolerance to cows’ milk, hens’ eggs, fish, peanuts, tree nuts, and cereals and also age of onset, type of symptoms and age of cessation. Information was also gathered on family allergy history, dietary habits, and certain lifestyle aspects.ResultsOf 1838 questionnaires distributed, 1029 were returned: 717/1354 (53%) from Mölndal and 312/484 (64%) from Kiruna. The cumulative incidence of SRFA was 19.6% with a significantly higher cumulative incidence in Kiruna (28.5%) than in Mölndal (15.7%), P < .001. Solids were introduced at a later age in Kiruna. Introduction of solids into a child’s diet from the age of 7 months or later, and maternal history of allergic disease, were both risk factors associated with a higher risk of food allergy or intolerance.ConclusionLate introduction of solids into an infant’s diet may be one risk factor for developing food allergy or intolerance. Later introduction of solids in Kiruna may be one explanation for the higher cumulative incidence of SRFA in that region.
Highlights
This study investigated risk factors associated with food allergy or food intolerance among school children in two Swedish towns
To further stress the analyses, we separately investigated if a parental history of food allergy could explain the association between late introduction of solids and self-reported food allergy or intolerance (SRFA)
The results indicate that the late introduction of solids is a risk factor for SRFA and was not a consequence of early allergic symptoms (Fig. 1)
Summary
This study investigated risk factors associated with food allergy or food intolerance among school children in two Swedish towns. Food allergy is an emerging health problem in many countries. It is considered to form part of the “second wave” of allergic diseases, which started decades after the “first wave” comprising asthma, rhino-conjunctivitis, and eczema [1]. The increase in the prevalence of first wave allergic diseases like asthma and eczema seems to have levelled off [2,3,4], the prevalence of food allergy is still increasing [1, 5]. Self-reported food allergy or intolerance is increasingly common today, reported. The reason for the increased prevalence of food allergy is still unknown. Genetic factors are important in food allergy, but environmental factors, factors that may induce epigenetic changes, seem to engender this rapid increase [5, 13]. The development of tolerance to food may be influenced by both maternal
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