A novel concept of screening for subgrouping factors for the association between socioeconomic status and respiratory allergies

Background The new subgroup screening tool subscreen aims to understand the unclear and complex association between socioeconomic status (SES) and childhood allergy. This software R package has been successfully used in clinical trials but not in large population-based studies. Objective To screen and identify subgrouping factors explaining their impact on the association between SES and respiratory allergies in childhood and youth. Methods Using the national German childhood and youth survey dataset (KiGGS Wave 2), we included 56 suspected subgrouping factors to investigate the association between SES (low vs. high) and allergic rhinitis and/or asthma in an exploratory manner. The package enabled a comprehensive overview of odds ratios when considering the SES impact per subgroup and analogously all disease proportions per subgroup. Result Among the 56 candidate factors, striking subgrouping factors were identified; e.g., if mothers were younger and in the low SES group, their children had a higher risk of asthma. In addition children of the teen's age were associated with increased risks in the low SES group. For the crude proportions, factors such as (parental) smoking or having had no contact with farm animals were identified as strong risk factors for rhinitis. Significance The subscreen package enabled the detection of notable subgroups for further investigations exemplarily for similar epidemiological research questions.

Automated summary

The subscreen package successfully identified significant subgrouping factors like younger mothers in the low SES group being associated with higher risk of asthma in their children, and teenagers in the low SES group having increased risks. Additionally, factors such as (parental) smoking or lack of contact with farm animals were identified as strong risk factors for rhinitis. The subscreen tool allows for comprehensive overview of odds ratios and disease proportions per subgroup in exploring the association between SES and respiratory allergies in childhood and youth.