International Study Of Asthma And Allergies In Childhood Questionnaire Research Articles

Prevalence of Asthma and Its Associated Risk Factors Among Children Aged 5-10 Years in a Rural Area of Coimbatore: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction Asthma is one of the serious health problems among children, accounting for a major proportion of lost school days due to absenteeism, decreased academic performances, and lesser social interactions. It can impair a child's activities like playing sports and also their sleeping pattern with frequent school absenteeism. In South India, only a few school-based studies to determine the prevalence of asthma have been carried out, and even fewer studies are done in community settings in rural areas of Tamil Nadu. Hence, this community-based study was done to find out the prevalence of asthma among children aged 5-10 years in rural areas of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Aim & objective To estimate the prevalence of asthma among children aged 5-10 years in rural areas of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Materials and methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in rural areas of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. A sample of 726 children from the randomly selected seven villages were studied. The sample size was calculated for a finite population. The standardized International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire and calibrated instruments were used as data collection tools. Ethical approval was obtained. Data entry was done in Microsoft Excel and analyzed using the SPSS 19.0 version. The "t" test was used to compare the mean difference between the quantitative variables and the chi-square test was used to test the association between categorical variables. P-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results The overall prevalence of self-reported asthma was 5.1%. Boys had 1.7 times higher prevalence compared to girls. The prevalence of possible or suspected cases of asthma using the ISAAC screening questionnaire was 20.9%. In univariate analysis, the risk of having asthma among children is significantly higher among those with a positive family history of asthma. Conclusion The study found that the prevalence of self-reported asthma in rural settings is low (5.1%). However, our study also identifies a large number of children (20.9%) with symptoms suggestive of asthma using the ISAAC questionnaire that need the attention of a specialist for early diagnosis and care for reducing morbidity and episode severity.

Can bronchial challenge test with adenosine or methacholine at preschool age predict school‐age asthma?

Bronchial challenge test (BCT) measures current airways-hyperreactivity, however, its predictive role in pre-school children (<6 years) for the diagnosis of asthma at school age is still debatable. We aimed to find whether preschool children with a positive adenosine or methacholine BCT are more prone to asthma at school age. We included children aged 6-13 years with respiratory symptoms that were previously referred to our pulmonary function laboratory for BCT (methacholine or adenosine, depending on the question asked) at age 10 months to 6 years (baseline). BCT was considered positive based on spirometry results or wheezing, desaturation, and tachypnea reactions. The primaryoutcome measure was asthma diagnosis at school age using the well-validated International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. We used logistic regression analysis to explore whether positive BCT could predict school-age asthma while including age and collected modified asthma predictive indexin the model. One hundred and fifty-one of 189 children (53% males), completed the ISAAC questionnaire (response rate = 80%). Mean ages at BCT and at follow-up were 3.9 ± 1.28 and 9.4 ± 1.85 years, respectively. At baseline, 40 of 67 had a positive adenosine test and 73 of 84 had a positive methacholine BCT. Thirty-nine children were diagnosed with asthma at school age. Logistic regression analysis showed that a positive adenosine test at pre-school age was the best predictor, significantly increasing the odds of asthma at school age by 6.34 (95% CI: 1.23-32.81, p = .028), while methacholine did not show significance (p = .69). Choosing the relevant BCT for the question asked, positive adenosine, but not methacholine test, at pre-school, may predict asthma at school age.

Prevalence of atopic disorders in 10–15 years age group students from Kasaragod district, Kerala: A cross-sectional study

IntroductionAtopic disorders are showing a consistent trend of increasing prevalence. Kasaragod was an endosulfan aerial spray region that caused multiple health issues in the population. The aim of this paper was to a) determine the prevalence of, b) identify socio-environmental determinants (SED) of atopic disorders amongst school children of age 10–15 years in Kasaragod district. MethodologyThe study is a cross-sectional survey of students of class 8 to 10 in 20 schools of Kasaragod educational district. International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) core questionnaire identified atopic students. A validated, closed-ended 30 questions elicited exposure to SEDs. ResultsIn 20 schools, 5914 students filled questionnaires. ISAAC questionnaire identified 2310 (41.8%) atopic students; 716 (13%) chronic wheezers, 543 (9.8%) eczema and 1813 (32.8%) rhinitis. The study showed a significant relationship between rhinitis mode of going to school, solid biomass fuel, rodents and reptiles infestation in living places. Rhinitis is prevalent in students who lived near the coastal region, tarred roads and footpaths. The chance of getting asthma, when a student had eczema and vice-versa (odds ratio = 2.388, x2 = 66.450, p = 0.000), between asthma to rhinitis (odds ratio = 3.671, x2 = 270.829, p = 0.000) and eczema and rhinitis (odds ratio = 2.852, x2 = 139.485, p = 0.000) showed significant relation. DiscussionAtopy prevalence is higher in Kasaragod and association with other allergic disorders suggestive of atopic march. Further studies required to identify reasons; mainly on environmental pollution, epigenetic changes in students.

Prevalence of Asthma Symptoms in 13-14-Year-Old Adolescents in Karaj.

Asthma is the most common chronic inflammatory respiratory disorder in children. This study was designed to assess the prevalence of asthma in 13-14-year-old adolescents in Karaj, Alborz province in Iran, using the international study of asthma and allergies in childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire.Totally 950 adolescents attending 40 schools located in 4 regions of Karaj city were enrolled in the survey. The Persian version of the ISAAC questionnaire was filled by 13-14-year-old students. Multi-stage clustered random sampling was used to divide the city of Karaj into four educational districts. Ever wheezing was reported in 22% of the individuals; 10.52% claimed to have wheeze in the last 12 months and 22.73% had during or after exercise. The experience of wheezing in the last 12 months was more prevalent among males (11.73% vs. 9.38%; p<0.05). However, having a history of asthma was higher among males (7.55% vs. 3.47%; p<0.05). History of hospitalization (60.8%), family history of asthma (49.4%), and history of food allergy (42.3%) were found to be the most frequent characteristics significantly associated with" ever wheezing" (p<0.05). The prevalence of wheezing in the last 12 months, as a major index of current asthma, was 10% which was close to the national average. However, nocturnal cough and exercise-induced wheezing were higher in Karaj compared to other cities of Iran; which could be related to the high level of air pollution in this industrial area.

Defining asthma in children: how well do parents, doctors and spirometry agree?

BackgroundBecause diagnosing asthma in school-aged children is challenging, a variety of proxies for asthma are used in clinical practice and research settings as indicators of this disease. We aimed to provide insight into the agreement between various asthma indicators based on parental report, medical diagnosis and spirometry.MethodsChildren from the WHISTLER birth cohort performed spirometry and were followed up with parental ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) questionnaires about asthma at 5 and 8 years of age. Medical data were extracted from primary care records. We compared 15 asthma indicators based on parental report, medical diagnosis and spirometry using positive agreement, κ statistics and latent class cluster analysis.ResultsAt 5 years of age, 1007 children completed a study visit, while 803 children visited at 8 years of age. Depending on the indicator, the responder and child's age, the asthma prevalence ranged from 0.2% to 26.6%. Cluster analysis revealed classes related to the presence of recent symptoms and a decreased lung function. Agreement between parents and doctors was generally low with κ coefficients ranging from 0.07 (recent wheeze) to 0.52 (recent asthma medication). Additionally, parental report showed to be sensitive to recall bias over time.ConclusionsDependent on the asthma indicator, the responder and the age of the child, substantial differences in agreement were observed between commonly used indicators associated with asthmatic disease in school-aged children. Most agreement between parents and doctors was seen for objective and recent indicators such as the recent use of asthma medication. We advocate caution when literature with different asthma indicators is compared.

Prevalence of Asthma Symptoms Based on ISAAC Questionnaire and Pulmonary Function Tests in Cotton Ginnery Workers in Gezira State

Background: The prevalence of asthma symptoms in the adult Sudanese population was found to be 10% according to the international study of asthma and allergies in childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire and was more than that in dusty working places. Occupational asthma is caused by breathing chemical fumes, gases, dust or other substances on the job. More than 250 workplace substances have been identified as possible causes of occupational asthma. These include animal substances, chemicals, enzymes, metals, plant substances, and respiratory irritants. Exposure to airborne asthma triggers can cause permanent lung destruction, byssinosis and resulting in disability or death. Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of asthma symptoms in cotton gin workers in Gezira state, Sudan. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in cotton ginnery in Rufaa - al-Gezira State in the middle of Sudan; to evaluate the prevalence of asthma symptoms in cotton gin workers. The aim of the study was explained to all participants after taking their consent and the modified international study of asthma and allergies in childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire was used and had been filled by 60 workers. Pulmonary function test (PFT) also had been done for them and the results were compared with the normal values for each participant. A T-test was used to compare the statistical significance (P-value ?0.05 was considered statistically significant). Results: (43) of the participants were males and (17) were females. Analysis of data revealed that (13.3%) had to wheeze in the last 12 months, and (3.3%) had chest tightness early morning. Also (3.3%) had an episode of chest tightness which awakes them from sleeping. The forced expiratory volume in the first second and the forced vital capacity were significantly lower than the Sudanese normal values. Conclusion: The prevalence of asthma symptoms in cotton gin workers is higher than the general population with lower lung function values. Further big-scale studies are recommended to be done.

Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Prevalence of Atopic Dermatitis among Adolescents in Kuwait

Background: This study aimed to (i) assess the prevalence of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at homes, (ii) assess the prevalence of atopic dermatitis and (iii) evaluate the association between ETS exposure and atopic dermatitis status among adolescents. Methods: During October 2015, a cross-sectional study design was implemented using a self-administered, modified version of the ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) questionnaire among students enrolled in nine high schools of one of the six governorates of Kuwait. Prevalence of ETS exposure at home (1 or more smokers at home vs. none) and atopic dermatitis were computed. A multivariable log-binomial regression model was used to evaluate the adjusted association between ETS exposure and atopic dermatitis. Results: Of 800 invited students, 746 (93.3%) participated, of whom 74.8% were Kuwaiti and 50.1% were female with a mean (SD) age of 16.8 (0.68) years. Prevalence of ETS exposure at home was 54%. Prevalence of atopic dermatitis was 14.9%. A final multivariable log-binomial regression model showed that compared with the adolescents free from atopic dermatitis, adolescents with atopic dermatitis were significantly more likely to have had ETS exposure at home (adjusted prevalence ratio = 1.49; 95% CI: 1.03–2.14; p = 0.034) or tended to be female (adjusted prevalence ratio = 1.42; 95% CI: 0.99–2.03; p = 0.054). Conclusions: A high prevalence of ETS exposure at home among adolescents was recorded. ETS exposure and female gender were significantly associated with atopic dermatitis status. Intervention fostering voluntary adoption of a smoke-free home rule may help protect the adolescents against ETS exposure and alleviate the menace of associated morbidity.

The prevalence of allergic diseases and related risk factors in 13-14 year-old children living in Malatya

Aim: To determine the prevalence of allergic diseases and related risk factors in 13-and 14- year-old children in Malatya, Turkey. Material and Methods: 13-and 14-year-old students in the province of Malatya were given the questionnaire of International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) which wasvalidated. Results: 304 (53.5%) of the 568 students were females and the mean age was 13.08±0.27 years. The lifetime prevalence of wheezing, rhinitis and atopic eczema were 11.4%, 36.4% , and 4.9%respectively, while the reported prevalence for the last 12 months were 6.3%, 13.9%and3.9%respectively. The rate of diagnosis by the physician was 6.5% for asthma, 3.9% for allergic rhinitis and 5.1% for atopic dermatitis. When the risk factors related to allergic diseases wereexamined, the risk factors associated with wheezing were; smoking at home (p = 0.022), parental history of allergic diseases (p =0.012) and cockroaches at home (p = 0.023). Risk factorrelated to rhinitis isparental history of allergic diseases (p =0.023). Risk factors associated with atopic eczemawerefemale gender (p =0.017) and breastmilk intake for less than six months (p =0.034). Conclusion: This study is the first to investigate the prevalence of allergic disease in the 13-and 14- age group in Malatya by using the ISAAC questionnaire. The current study shows that the prevalence of allergic diseases is not low in children who are living in Malatya.

Factors associated with asthma expression in adolescents.

ABSTRACTObjective:To evaluate risk factors associated with asthma symptoms in adolescents in the 13- to 14-year age bracket. Methods:This was a cross-sectional study involving adolescents enrolled in randomly selected public schools in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and conducted with the use of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire and its supplementary module for risk factor assessment. The ISAAC questionnaire was completed by the students themselves, whereas the supplementary questionnaire was completed by their parents or legal guardians. Variables showing p ≤ 0.25 in the univariate analysis were included in the multivariate analysis. Stepwise regression with backward elimination was used for variable selection. Results:We evaluated 375 adolescents, 124 (33.1%) of whom had asthma symptoms. The final multivariate analysis model revealed that asthma symptoms were associated with birth weight < 2,500 g (p < 0.001), day care center or nursery attendance (p < 0.002), maternal history of asthma (p < 0.001), contact with animals during the first year of life (p < 0.027), current contact with animals outside the home (dogs, cats, or farm animals; p < 0.005), and more than 20 cigarettes per day smoked by parents or other household members (p < 0.02). Conclusions:Exposure to animals in and outside the home is associated with asthma symptoms, as is environmental tobacco smoke exposure. Families, health professionals, and administrators of health care facilities should take that into account in order to prevent asthma and reduce asthma morbidity.

Malatya’da Yaşayan 6-7 Yaş Grubu Çocuklarında Allerjik Hastalıkların Sıklığı ve İlişkili Risk Faktörleri

Oz (Ingilizce):Objective: The prevalence of allergic disease in children has been increasing in the recent years. There is no previous study on the prevalence of allergic disease in Malatya, Turkey. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of allergic disease and related risk factors among children aged 6-7 years in Malatya.Materials and Methods: We administered the questionnaire of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) translated into the Turkish language to 480 children aged 6-7 years living in Malatya. The questionnaires were completed by the parents for 413 (86%) of the children.Results: There were 210 (50.8%) males and the overall mean age was 6.6±0.49 years. The lifetime prevalence of wheezing, rhinitis and eczema was 20.3%, 37% and 7.5% respectively and the reported prevalence for the last 12 months was 12.3%, 32% and 6.5% respectively. When the risk factors associated with allergic disease were analyzed; male gender (p=0.001), history of parental asthma (p=0.002), doctor's diagnosis of allergic rhinitis (p=0.025) and having cockroaches at the home (p=0.002) were associated with asthma. A history of doctor's diagnosis of asthma (p<0.001) and atopic eczema (p=0.001) were associated with rhinitis as risk factors. History of parental atopic eczema (p<0.001) and doctor's diagnosis of asthma (p=0.006) were associated with atopic eczema as risk factors.Conclusion: This study is the first to investigate the prevalence of allergic disease in the 6-7 years age group in Malatya using the ISAAC questionnaire. The current study shows the prevalence of allergic diseases is considerable in children living in Malatya.

Prevalence and impact of asthma among school-aged students in Lima, Peru.

The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) reported asthma prevalence in Peru to be among the highest in the world. We assessed the prevalence and morbidity of self-reported asthma in an underserved, peri-urban area of Lima, Peru, with limited medical access. The study was conducted in the outskirts of Lima from March to May 2011. Five hundred children aged 6-18 years were selected through cluster sampling. Parents completed a modified version of the ISAAC questionnaire. Children underwent spirometry testing. Those with a forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1% predicted) 80% were tested for reversibility using salbutamol. Of the 500 children selected, 71% participated. The prevalence of asthma was 16.7%. Asthma symptoms were associated with self-reported asthma (P < 0.001); 52.5% of children with asthma had ever used an inhaler (P < 0.001), and 27.1% had never been to the doctor for respiratory problems (P < 0.001). We found a high prevalence of self-reported asthma and high morbidity related to asthma symptoms in the previous 12 months among the study cohort. Symptoms were poorly controlled due to limited availability of medication and access to medical services.

Epidemiological trends of allergic diseases in adolescents.

ABSTRACTObjective:To assess the prevalences of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in adolescents in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 2012 by administering the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire, as well as to compare the observed prevalences with those found in studies performed 10 years earlier and employing the same methodology used here. Methods:This was a cross-sectional study conducted between May and December of 2012 and involving adolescents in the 13- to 14-year age bracket. Participants were randomly selected from among adolescents studying at public schools in Belo Horizonte and completed the ISAAC questionnaire. Proportions were calculated in order to assess the prevalences of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in the sample as a whole, and the chi-square goodness-of-fit test was used in order to compare the prevalences observed in 2012 with those found in 2002. Results:The prevalences of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in 2012 were 19.8%, 35.3%, and 16.3%, respectively, being significantly higher than those found in 2002 (asthma, p = 0.006; allergic rhinitis, p < 0.01; and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, p = 0.002). Conclusions:The prevalences of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis among adolescents in 2012 were found to be high, having increased in comparison with those found 10 years earlier, despite efforts in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Childhood Asthma, Rhinitis, and Eczema in Hong Kong: Proposal for a Cross-Sectional Survey.

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that particulate matter is a major problem in indoor air quality in Hong Kong schools, but little has been done to assess its relationship with health indicators in the children attending those schools. Our study aims to address this research gap by collecting aerosol data in schools to examine the link between different air pollutants with childhood respiratory health. It is important to explore whether or not the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and eczema are increasing in local children.ObjectiveOur aim is to (1) examine the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema in school children aged 6-7 years in Hong Kong between 2001 and 2017, and (2) measure air quality at primary schools and explore its relationship with health outcomes measured by the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) survey.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study consisting of an ISAAC questionnaire and aerosol data collection. We have recruited over 2000 parents of primary school students aged 6-7 years old for the questionnaire, and so far 19 schools have completed aerosol data collection.ResultsThe study is expected to be completed this year.ConclusionsWe predict that our study will show a significant change in the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema in school children aged 6-7 years old in recent years. In addition, we expect to show a significant association between air quality at school and health outcomes measured by the ISAAC survey.

Validation of the modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire: Is wheeze alone enough for determination of asthma symptoms prevalence?

Background: The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) protocol for asthma prevalence depended mainly on self-reported wheezing symptom in the past 12 months. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of asthma symptoms using self-reported wheezing versus combination of symptoms and spirometric criteria. Materials and Methods: A multi-center cross-sectional study covering Northern, Eastern, Western and Central Sudan was conducted during 2009-2012. A modified ISAAC questionnaire for adults was distributed to university students, academic staff, employee and workers chosen randomly. 3974 respondents were included. Any subject with asthma symptoms was interviewed by another special questionnaire and had a bronchodilator reversibility test. Results: Average overall prevalence of asthma symptoms depending on wheeze only symptom was 10% with regional variation ranged from 6% in El Obeid (Western Sudan) to 13% in Kassala (Eastern Sudan).The use of combination of symptoms (wheeze + shortness of breath or nocturnal cough) was more correlated with the reversibility validated prevalence than wheezing alone in all study sites and total sample. Conclusion: Wheezing alone does not predict the true asthma prevalence and the use of combination of symptoms (wheeze plus) is essential to yield a valid asthma symptoms prevalence.

Adolescent versus parent reports on asthma and asthma symptoms.

Epidemiological studies of asthma in adolescence commonly rely on self-reports. This study aimed to compare adolescent and parent reports regarding the presence of asthma and asthma symptoms in two ethnic groups, Jews and Arabs, living in the same country. Eighth-grade pupils attending five schools in Tel Aviv and four schools in two Arab cities in Israel were asked to complete the self-report International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire in the classroom. Their parents were interviewed by telephone using the parental ISAAC questionnaire. We assessed prevalence rates of asthma and asthma symptoms according to adolescent and parent responses. Agreement between adolescents and parents was assessed by Cohen's kappa coefficient. Adolescents reported more asthma and asthma symptoms than their parents in both the Jewish (327 adolescent-parent pairs) and the Arab (335 adolescent-parent pairs) groups. Both groups showed moderate adolescent-parent chance-corrected agreement for current asthma (kappa 0.59 in Jews, 0.52 in Arabs, P = 0.60) and lifetime asthma (kappa 0.53 Jews, 0.44 in Arabs, P = 0.33); and slight to fair chance-corrected agreement for asthma symptoms. There were no statistically significant differences between the Jewish and Arab populations in chance-corrected agreement for any of the parameters assessed. Jewish and Arab adolescents more often report asthma and asthma symptoms than do their parents. This seems to be a cross-cultural phenomenon. Therefore, particular attention should be paid to the source of information when comparing prevalence of asthma and asthma symptoms across studies. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2017;52:154-159. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Association between Asthma and Primary Nocturnal Enuresis in Children

Enuresis, sleep respiratory disorders and asthma compromise the quality of sleep in children and may occur in association with each other. An association between sleep respiratory disorders and enuresis has already been demonstrated. According to united airways disease abnormalities of the upper and lower airways may coexist. A child who wheezes has a greater chance of snoring and having obstructive sleep apnea. Since asthma and sleep respiratory disorders may be associated, and sleep respiratory disorders are associated with enuresis, we determined the possibility of an association between asthma and enuresis. Between August 20 and March 2015 parents/guardians of children 6 to 14 years old from 16 elementary schools in our area were randomly chosen for study. Children with nonmonosymptomatic enuresis and urological or neurological disease were excluded. The Tucson and ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) questionnaires wereused to assess sleep respiratory disorders and asthma, respectively. A total of 523 children (283 males and 240 females) with a mean ± SD age of 9.42 ± 2.46 years were included in analysis. The overall prevalence of enuresis was 15.87% (95% CI 12.98-19.26). Asthmatic children with wheezing in the last 12 months were 2.33 times more likely to have had enuresis at some point in life (OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.37-3.95, p = 0.0017). If enuresis was present, the chance increased to 2.78 (95% CI 1.38-5.61, p = 0.0041). Enuretic children were 5.34 times more prone to have apnea reported by parents (95% CI 2.19-13.03, p= 0.0002). These findings demonstrate that asthma as well as sleep respiratory disorders is associated with primary nocturnal enuresis.

The Prevalence of Asthma Symptoms in Elementary and Middle School Students in Kurdistan Province, the West of Iran

Background Asthma is one of the most important childhood diseases in developing countries. The prevalence, mortality, and economic burden of the disease have taken a rising trend since 1960, and this increase was more marked in children. The presents study aimed to assess the prevalence of asthma symptoms diagnosed by International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire in Kurdistan province, Western Iran. Materials and Methods In a cross-sectional study, to collect the required data 4,000 questionnaires were distributed among student aged 6-7 years and 13-14 years; and the response rate was 97 percent. An ISAAC questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic variables, past health history, and respiratory health. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression and Chi-square test were use for analysis. Result. The prevalence of asthma diagnosed by physician was 3.9%. The prevalence of wheezing was 26.5% in the province in the past 12 months. There was a large difference between different cities in terms of the prevalence rates, so that it varied from 1.7% in Dehgolan to 8% in Sarvabad; hence, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion There was a relatively high prevalence of wheezing in the past 12 months and previous diagnosis of asthma among the students in Kurdistan province which was higher than that in other similar studies.

Exposure to mould allergens and rhinoconjunctivitis in Korean children.

Although rhinitis is the most common allergic disease in children, few studies have explored the causal relationships between mould allergens and rhinitis. Thus, this study aimed to identify factors, especially prior exposure to mould allergens, related to rhinitis and rhinoconjunctivitis in Korean children. Subjects in this study were 12- to 13-year-old children from 40 national middle schools who were participants of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) study in Korea. A total of 3852 children who completed the ISAAC questionnaire in 2010 and underwent a skin prick test (SPT) and blood test were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of symptoms suggestive of rhinitis or rhinoconjunctivitis in last 12 months was 42.7% and 19.4%, respectively. A parental history of allergies (OR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.75-2.35; OR = 2.55, 95% CI = 2.13-3.06), visible mould or dampness (OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.09-1.51; OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.00-1.51), previous exposure to mould allergens (OR = 4.53, 95% CI = 2.32-8.84; OR = 4.98, 95% CI = 2.43-10.20), total IgE levels ≥78 kU/l (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.22-1.69; OR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.60-2.48) were risk factors for rhinitis and rhinoconjunctivitis. This study suggested that previous exposure to mould allergens more influenced rhinitis and rhinoconjunctivitis than visible mould or dampness, and that total IgE levels of ≥78 kU/l, which was the criterion suggested in a study of Asian children, were risk factors for rhinitis diseases.

Estimation of serum immunoglobulin E levels as suggestive indicator of atopy in children having allergic rhinitis

Background: Atopy is the major factor predisposing for the development of allergic airway diseases. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels of children having atopy are elevated as compared with nonatopic children. Serum total IgE levels can be utilized as a surrogate marker for the presence of atopy. Objective: To study the presence of atopy by estimation of serum IgE levels in children having allergic rhinitis and to determine the proportion of concomitant allergic conditions in these children. Methods: From May 2012 to April 2013, 134 children aged 6-14 years having allergic rhinitis as diagnosed on the basis of their response to the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire were included in the study. Children were screened for concomitant atopic disorders, viz., asthma, atopic eczema, and conjunctivitis on the basis of their response to ISAAC questionnaire. Total serum IgE levels were determined for all subjects. Results: Total IgE levels of study subjects were found to be increased in 114 (85.07%) out of 134 children (cut-off value = 100 IU/mL). Mean serum IgE of the study subjects was 312.18 (95% confidence interval, 253.1-385.1) IU/mL. Children having persistent allergic rhinitis had higher mean IgE levels of 392.18 IU/mL as compared to 199.08 IU/mL (P

Evaluation of Prevalence of Allergic Rhinitis Symptoms in Kurdistan, a Western Province in Iran

Introduction Allergic rhinitis, like other allergic diseases, is one of the most common disorders during childhood; this study was conducted to assess and compare the prevalence and severity of allergic rhinitis in children and adolescents living in Kurdistan province. The study was aimed to provide a ground for the identification of likely causes and risk factors of this disorder. Materials and Methods This study was a cross-sectional study. In order to collect data, 4,000 questionnaires were distributed to elementary schools and junior high schools and 3,890 questionnaires were completed; as a result, the survey response rate was 97%. The study was carried out based on International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC): ISAAC questionnaire. After entering the data into SPSS version 13, they were analyzed using logistic regression and Chi- square test. Results Of a total 3,890 people, 29.7% of the subjects in this study reported a history of sneezing or runny nose in the past 12 months; it was reported more in boys in the age group 13-14 years and the difference between the sexes was significant [Odds ratio(OR)=1.35, Confidence interval (CI)]: 1.09-1.67, P < 0.01). Based on physician diagnosis, 9.37% of the subjects were overtaken by allergic rhinitis and it was more prevalent in boys at both educational levels and the difference was statistically significant in subjects aged 13-14 years old (OR=1.44 CI: 1.07-1.94, P <0.05). Conclusion The prevalence of the allergic rhinitis symptoms in children and adolescents living in Kurdistan province is relatively high and it is necessary to carry out extensive studies on its important risk factors.