All issues > Volume 31(10); 1988

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1988;31(10):1290-1300. Published online October 31, 1988.

A Survey of the Distribution of Allergic Diseases in Low Grade Children on Primary School.

Seung Hwan Kim¹, Seung Joo Kim¹, Hyun Soo Park¹, Chung Hun Lee¹, Hae Sun Yoon¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul, Korea

Received: April 11, 1988;  Accepted: May 29, 1988.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the incidence of allergic diseases in lower grade primary school children in Seoul, Chun cheon and Kuri by questionnaires which were completed by their parents. This study was done on 15,009 of possible 20,000 pupils from May to September, 1987. Thirty eight questions were used to elicit information about the relationship between allergic diseases and factors such as sex, geographic location, home environment, family history and breast or bottle fed. The skin prick test with common three inhalent allergens (house dust, two house dust mites) was performed on 1,044 pupils. The results were as follows: 1) 30.2% of the pupils presented a history of allergic diseases which included asthma or asthmatic bronchitis, allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis or atopic dermatitis. There was no significant difference between allergic diseases and geographic location. 2) The frequency of each of allergic diseases was 13.8% for asthma or asthmatic bronchitis, 6.8% for allergic rhinitis, 3.1% for allergic conjunctivitis, 15.4% for atopic dermatitis or infantile eczema, 25.9% for urticaria, 5.6% for food allergy, 2.4% for drug allergy and 2.0% for milk allergy. 3) Allergic diseases were 1.3 times more prevalent in boys than girls. 4) With respect to the home environment, 70.3% of the subjects lived in private houses and 29.7% in apartments; the incidence of allergic diseases was 28.3% and 35.1% respectively. 5) Allergic diseases were more frequently associated with the oil for the heating system than the briquet for that. 6) Allergic diseases were more frequently associated with the paper for the material of floor than the vinyl for that. 7) 54.3% of subjects had sofa, carpet or bed and the remainder did not it; the incidence of allergic disease was 33.2% and 26.4%, respectively. 8) Bottle feeding (34.6%) or mixed feeding were more frequently associated with allergic disease than breast feeding. 9) In children with allergic diseases, the weaning food of first choice was egg, fruit or vegetable, fish, cereal and meat in order of frequency. 10) 60.5% of subjects had positive family histories. 11) Two hundred fifty (24.3%) of 1,044 subjects noted positive in the skin prick test. 12) The incidence of positive skin reactions in allergic and nonallergic subjects was 30.8% and 20. 5%, respectively. 13) Six hundred (59.2%) of 1,013 subjects lived in the private houses and the remainder did in the apartments; the incidence of positive skin reaction was 21.3% and 29.1%, respectively.

Keywords :Allergic diseases, Skin prick test