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REGULAR ARTICLE
Association of food allergy with asthma severity and atopic diseases in Jewish and Arab adolescents
Article first published online: 24 JUL 2012
DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2012.02776.x
© 2012 The Author(s)/Acta Pædiatrica © 2012 Foundation Acta Pædiatrica
Additional Information
How to Cite
Graif, Y., German, L., Livne, I. and Shohat, T. (2012), Association of food allergy with asthma severity and atopic diseases in Jewish and Arab adolescents. Acta Paediatrica, 101: 1083–1088. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2012.02776.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 29 AUG 2012
- Article first published online: 24 JUL 2012
- Accepted manuscript online: 3 JUL 2012 02:37PM EST
- Received 19 April 2012; revised 31 May 2012; accepted 27 June 2012.
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Keywords:
- Adolescent;
- Allergic rhinitis;
- Asthma;
- Atopic eczema;
- Food allergy
Abstract
Aim: To investigate the prevalence of reported food allergy and its association with atopic diseases and asthma severity among Jewish and Arab adolescents.
Subjects and methods: The self-report questionnaire of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) was administered to adolescents aged 13–14 years from randomly selected junior high schools in Israel. Questions regarding food allergy were added.
Results: A total of 11 171 questionnaires were available for analysis. Food allergy was reported by 3.6% of participants: 1.9% milk, 0.6% egg, 0.6% peanut and 0.4% sesame. On multivariate analysis, food allergy was strongly associated with current asthma (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.8–3.3), atopic eczema (OR, 3.2; 95% CI, 2.4–4.3) and allergic rhinitis (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.8–3.1). Arabs were significantly more allergic to peanut (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.5–4.1), egg (OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 2.1–5.9) and sesame (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.2–4.5) than Jews, and less allergic to milk (OR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.4–0.9). Asthmatic subjects with food allergy had significantly more parameters of severe asthma than those without food allergy (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: The prevalence of allergy to specific foods differs between Jews and Arabs. Asthmatic adolescents with food allergy report more severe asthma than those without food allergy.