Prevalence of Food Allergy and the Sensitization Rates of Food Allergens in School-Aged Children in Jeju

Abstract

Objectives : This study is to survey school-aged children's prevalence of food allergy and to investigate sensitization rates to common food allergens. Methods : The self-administered questionnaire survey and skin prick tests with 12 food allergens were applied to school children in Jeju, Korea. From 3 elementary schools, 1,189 children were enrolled with informed consent. Results : The lifetime prevalence of self-reported food allergy were 10.5%. The period prevalence of self-reported food allergy(last 12 months), the lifetime prevalence of clinician-diagnosed food allergy and the period prevalence of clinician-treated food allergy(last 12 months) were 4.8%, 5.8% and 2.6%, respectively. The sensitization rate to one or more food allergens was 3.7%. Male(4.8%) showed more sensitized than female (2.5%)(p=0.043). Shrimps(1.1%), egg white(0.6%), mussels(0.5%), yolk(0.4%) and milk(0.4%) were commonly sensitized food allergens. The commonly associated allergens in the lifetime prevalence of food allergy include egg white, yolk, tuna, chicken and soybeans. The multivariate analysis revealed that the allergens most significantly related with the lifetime prevalence of food allergy were eggs, showing the risk of food allergy was 10.53 times higher in the cases with sensitization to egg. Conclusion : Compared to those in other regions, the school-aged children in Jeju show no difference in the prevalence of food allergy, but, with a gradual increase in frequency. Among the food allergens, egg is one of the most commonly sensitizing allergen as well as cause of food allergy. Serial epidemiological investigations and customized educational programs concerning food allergy are necessary at school.