Prevalence of IgE-mediated Food Allergy in Korean schoolchildren: A Population-based Study

Abstract

Although the prevalence and causes of food allergy vary by geographic location, large well-designed epidemiological studies in Asia are lacking. The purpose was to evaluate the prevalence of IgE-mediated food allergy in the general population of Korean schoolchildren. A population-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in 2010 using a stratified two-stage cluster-sampling design. In this survey, 4,003 children aged 6-7 years and 4,112 students aged 12-13 years were randomly selected, and the presence of food allergy was determined by a questionnaire survey and assessment of specific IgE. "Probable immediate-type food allergy" was reported in 2.0% of 6-7-year-olds and 3.6% of 12-13-year-olds. In children aged 6-7 years, the prevalence of "confirmed IgE-mediated food allergy" was 0.3%, and the prevalence of "possible IgE-mediated food allergy" was 0.3%. By contrast, 0.6% and 1.0% of children aged 12-13 years had "confirmed IgE-mediated food allergy" and "possible IgE-mediated food allergy," respectively. In 6-7-year-old children, egg was the most frequent causative food associated with a "confirmed" or "possible IgE-mediated food allergy." In 12-13-year-old children, crustaceans were the most frequent cause of "confirmed IgE-mediated food allergy," and fruit was most frequently involved in "possible IgE-mediated food allergy." This is the first nationwide population-based study of food allergy in Korean schoolchildren. Unlike in Western countries, the prevalence of IgE-mediated food allergy seems to be low, and peanuts/tree nuts are not common causes, whereas crustaceans are frequent triggers.