J Korean Acad Child Health Nurs.  2012 Jan;18(1):29-35.

A Comparative Study of the Prevalence of Allergic Disease between Rural and Urban Elementary School Students

• Song MR
• Kang MH
• Park JS
• Jo HK

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to analyze the prevalence of allergic disease among elementary school students in rural and urban areas.
METHODS
In this study, 1,513 elementary students (1,163 in urban areas, 350 in rural areas) were surveyed. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage of allergic symptoms and chi2 test was used to identify differences in the prevalence of allergic symptoms between urban and rural area students. The SAS program was used in the data analysis.
RESULTS
There were significant differences in the prevalence of allergic disease according to whether there was a family member with a prior history of allergy symptoms. 48.7% of surveyed students (49.4% in urban, 46.3% in rural) had allergic symptoms. Allergic rhinitis was the most frequent allergic symptom in both urban and rural students.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that there is a need to prevent and manage allergies among elementary students. The family history should be considered an important factor when a program for allergy prevention and management is developed. Interventions are needed in both areas, especially for students with allergic rhinitis.

Keyword

Allergy; Prevalence; Students; Symptoms

MeSH Terms

Humans
Hypersensitivity
Phenothiazines
Prevalence
Rhinitis
Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial
Child Health
Phenothiazines