Allergy Burden in Sichuan, China: Investigating Prevalence, Patterns,
and Population Attributable Risks among Children
Abstract
Background:Allergic diseases are increasing globally,
including in China. This poses challenges to public health. Our study
aimed to investigate allergens in children from Sichuan Province and
their impact on dermatitis, rhinitis, and asthma. Methods:This
retrospective study analyzed the medical records of 3204 pediatric
patients aged 0-9 years at XXX. Serum samples were collected and tested
using a microfluidic-based enzyme-linked immunoassay. The analysis
focused on detecting allergen-specific immunoglobulin E for 20 food
allergens and aeroallergens. Results:In this study, the
proportions of children allergic to at least one allergen varied across
different age groups. For children aged <1 year, 1-3 years,
and 3-9 years, the proportions were 40.40%, 68.54%, and 37.66%,
respectively. Boys showed a higher susceptibility to atopic allergies
compared to girls (P<0.001). The prevalence of both food
allergens and aeroallergens was high among the study participants. Among
the food allergens, egg white (52.25%) and cow’s milk (39.33%) were
the most prevalent, while Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (41.88%) and
Dermatophagoides farina (35.23%) were the most commonly observed
aeroallergens. The intensity scores of food allergens decreased with
increasing age, while the intensity scores of aeroallergens exhibited
the opposite trend. The population attributable risk (PAR) of atopy for
dermatitis was lower in the 3-9 years age group (40.10%) compared to
younger children (<1 year: 63.40%; 1-3 years: 65.10%).
Conclusions:The prevalence of atopic allergies varies with age
and gender. Additionally, the intensity of food allergens and
aeroallergens shows an age-related pattern. The proportion of
dermatitis, rhinitis, and asthma that can be attributed to atopy remains
consistently high across all age groups. However, there are differences
in the population attributable risk (PAR) of atopy for dermatitis and
asthma among different age groups.