Lifestyle-Related Factors and Atopy in Seven Danish Population-Based Studies from Different Time Periods.

Tea Skaaby,Allan Linneberg,Lise Lotte Nystrup Husemoen,Betina Heinsbæk Thuesen,Torben Jørgensen

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0137406

Abstract

BackgroundThe prevalence of allergic respiratory disease tends to increase in populations that adopt the so-called Westernized lifestyle. We investigated the association between atopy and several possible lifestyle-related factors in seven Danish population-based studies.MethodsA total of 20048 persons participated in the seven studies. We used logistic regression to analyse the associations between possible determinants and atopy defined as serum specific IgE or skin prick test positivity against inhalant allergens. Associations were expressed as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). In addition, individual participant data meta-analyses were performed.ResultsAtopy was significantly associated with younger age (OR per 1 year increase in age: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.97, 0.98); male sex (OR for males versus females: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.24, 1.45), heavy drinking (OR for heavy drinkers versus light drinkers: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.27), never smoking (OR for current versus never smokers: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.67, 0.80), and higher educational level (OR for educated versus uneducated: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.15, 1.41). Atopy was not associated with blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, physical activity or body mass except in women only, where we found a positive association (OR for obese vs. normal weight: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.39) with ptrend = 0.032.ConclusionsOf interest for preventive purposes, we found that atopy was associated with some of the reversible lifestyle-related factors that characterize a Westernized lifestyle.

Highlights

The prevalence of allergic respiratory disease such as allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma has increased over recent decades in countries living a Westernized, urbanized, and affluent lifestyle [1,2]
Atopy was significantly associated with younger age (OR per 1 year increase in age: 0.97; 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs): 0.97, 0.98); male sex (OR for males versus females: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.24, 1.45), heavy drinking (OR for heavy drinkers versus light drinkers: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.27), never smoking (OR for current versus never smokers: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.67, 0.80), and higher educational level (OR for educated versus uneducated: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.15, 1.41)
Atopy was not associated with blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, physical activity or body mass except in women only, where we found a positive association (OR for obese vs. normal weight: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.39) with ptrend = 0.032

Summary

Introduction

The prevalence of allergic respiratory disease such as allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma has increased over recent decades in countries living a Westernized, urbanized, and affluent lifestyle [1,2]. Alcohol is a strong immune modulating factor and alcohol consumption has been found to increase serum total IgE levels, but the role of the raised total IgE levels in IgE-mediated allergic reactions and IgE-mediated allergic respiratory disease is not clear [15,16,17,18,19,20]. The prevalence of allergic respiratory disease tends to increase in populations that adopt the so-called Westernized lifestyle. We investigated the association between atopy and several possible lifestyle-related factors in seven Danish population-based studies

Methods

Results

Conclusion