Allergy Asthma Immunol Res.  2015 May;7(3):234-240. 10.4168/aair.2015.7.3.234.

Novel Risk Factors for Allergic Rhinitis in Korean Elementary School Children: ARCO-kids Phase II in a Community

• Han DH
• Ahn JC
• Mun SJ
• Park SK
• Oh SY
• Rhee CS

• KMID: 2260460
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4168/aair.2015.7.3.234

Abstract

PURPOSE
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a multifactorial disease whose genetic and environmental risk factors have been studied for decades. Many pediatric studies have pointed out the familial history of allergy, hygiene hypothesis, breast-feeding, pet ownership, and diets as risk factors of AR. However, most of factors are still up for debate. This preliminary report aimed to confirm the known risk factors and find the novel risk factors for AR in the Korean pediatric population.
METHODS
A bi-seasonal, winter and summer, study in 2 elementary schools included all students whose parents completed the questionnaire of medical and social histories, quality of life, infant and early-childhood history, and the living styles. Skin prick tests and endoscopic examinations were conducted on all participants.
RESULTS
Among total 1,020 children, 338 participants had AR. The multivariate logistic regression analysis highlighted 6 factors: male gender (OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.32-3.33), older age (1.65; 1.03-2.65), previous history of allergic conjunctivitis (14.25; 4.99-40.74), asthma (2.73; 0.96-7.76) and pneumonia (0.39; 0.19-0.82), and an hour increase in daily playing time (0.90; 0.80-1.00).
CONCLUSIONS
Lack of pneumonia in early childhood and short playing time are newly found risk factors for Korean pediatric AR in this study confirming male gender, older age and previous history of allergic conjunctivitis and asthma as the risk factors.

Keyword

Allergic rhinitis; risk factors; play; pneumonia

MeSH Terms

Asthma
Child*
Conjunctivitis, Allergic
Diet
Humans
Hygiene Hypothesis
Hypersensitivity
Infant
Logistic Models
Male
Ownership
Parents
Pneumonia
Quality of Life
Rhinitis*
Risk Factors*
Skin
Surveys and Questionnaires

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Distribution of allergic and non-allergic rhinitis, asymptomatic sensitization and healthy participants in the ARCO-Kids phase II in a community, 2012-2013.

• 

  Fig. 2 Proportion and average of the 6 risk factors in AR, NAR, asymptomatic sensitization and healthy participants groups; (A) male gender, previous histories of (B) allergic conjunctivitis and (C) asthma, (D) daily playing time, (E) older age, and (F) previous history of pneumonia. AR, allergic rhinitis; NAR, non-allergic rhinitis.

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