The Prevalence of Allergic Diseases and Associated Risk Factors in School-Age Children and Adults in Erzurum, Turkey

OBJECTIVES: Allergic diseases are a major public health problem, owing to their socioeconomic burden and high frequency. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors of allergic diseases in adults and children in the province of Erzurum. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Primary school students aged 11-12 years old filled out the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) phase II questionnaire, and their parents filled out the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) questionnaire by themselves. We enrolled 494 questionnaires for ISAAC and 946 for ECRHS. RESULTS: The survey response rates were 91.8% for ISAAC and 87% for ECRHS. The frequencies of doctor-diagnosed asthma, allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis, and food allergy in children were 11.9%, 8.9%, 27.3%, 3.6%, and 6.5%, respectively. In adults, the rates of wheezing in the chest, accompanying shortness of breath, and wheezing in the absence of flu within the last 12 months were 8%, 8%, and 5.5%, respectively, whereas the rate of asthma attack in the last 12 months was 2.9%, the rate of asthma medication usage was 2.6%, and the frequency of allergic rhinitis was 1.6%. The determined risk factors for childhood were duration of attending a nursery for asthma (p=0.02, OR=2.51, 95% CI=1.14-5.53), having ever been to a nursery for atopic dermatitis (p=0.02, OR=3.83, 95% CI=1.24-11.8), and a family history of rhinitis for food allergy (p=0.01, OR=2.94, 95% CI=1.13-6-57). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of allergic diseases in children and adults in Erzurum was found to be lower than in studies conducted throughout Turkey and in western regions of the Country. Going to a nursery, the length of nursery education, and a family history of rhinitis were identified as the risk factors for allergic diseases in children. The identification of regional risk factors and taking preventive measures in this regard may provide a reduction in the incidence of allergic diseases.