Prevalence of Immediate-Type Food Allergy in Korean Schoolchildren in 2015: A Nationwide, Population-based Study

Abstract

PurposeThis study aimed to determine the prevalence of immediate-type food allergy (FA) among schoolchildren in Korea.MethodsA nationwide, cross-sectional study was performed in September 2015. A stratified random sample of 50,000 participants was selected from children and adolescents aged 6-7 years (n=17,500), 9-10 years (n=17,500), 12-13 years (n=7,500), and 15-16 years (n=7,500). Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire on the detailed history of immediate-type FA.ResultsA total of 32,001 (64.0%) responded to the questionnaire survey, and 29,842 children (59.7%) were analyzed after adjusting for missing data. The number of the cases in each age group was 9,671 (6-7 years), 9,756 (9-10 years), 5,169 (12-13 years), and 5,246 (15-16 years). The prevalence of lifetime perceived FA was 15.82%. The prevalence of current immediate-type FA was 4.06% in total, with 3.15% in 6- to 7-year-olds, 4.51% in 9- to 10-year-olds, 4.01% in 12- to 13-year-olds, and 4.49% in 15- to 16-year-olds. Among individual food items, peanut (0.22%) was the most frequent causative food, followed by hen's egg (0.21%), cow's milk (0.18%), and buckwheat (0.13%). Among the food groups, fruits (1.41%), crustaceans (0.84%), tree nuts (0.32%), and fish (0.32%) were the most common offending foods. The prevalence of food-induced anaphylaxis was 0.97%. The most frequent causative food of anaphylaxis was peanut (0.08%), followed by cow's milk (0.07%), buckwheat (0.06%), and hen's egg (0.06%), while fruits (0.28%), crustaceans (0.18%), tree nuts (0.12%), and fish (0.09%) were the most commonly responsible food groups.ConclusionsThe prevalence of current immediate-type FA and food-induced anaphylaxis in Korean schoolchildren in 2015 was 4.06% and 0.97%, respectively. Peanuts, cow's milk, hen's egg, fruits, crustaceans, and tree nuts are common allergens.

Anaphylaxis – Lessons learnt when East meets West

“…The overall incidence of anaphylaxis in representative Asian centers ranged between 2.5 and 38 per 100 000 person‐years . Other studies reported an anaphylaxis prevalence of 0.003% from large hospital or insurance‐based databases to 1% in a study based on self‐reported anaphylaxis symptoms . The reported incidence of anaphylaxis differed considerably between countries.…”

“…Likewise, the median age of onset of wheat allergy in Thai children was 6 months of age and 55.3% presented with anaphylaxis upon first exposure . Wheat and buckwheat were also major allergens in Japanese and Korean children (after egg and milk) and adults . In northern China, cereals and wheat were the top food allergens implicated in anaphylaxis, especially in adolescents and adults .…”

“…[5][6][7][8][9][10] Other studies reported an anaphylaxis prevalence of 0.003% from large hospital or insurance-based databases to 1% in a study based on self-reported anaphylaxis symptoms. 9,11 The reported incidence of anaphylaxis differed considerably between countries. A study in Singapore estimated the incidence of anaphylaxis to be only 2.5 per 100 000 children per year, 12 whereas much higher incidences of 6.63 per 100 000 person-years and of 60 per 100 000 children were reported in Hong Kong 5 and Korea, 13 respectively.…”

“…28 Wheat and buckwheat were also major allergens in Japanese and Korean children (after egg and milk) and adults. 11,29,30 In northern China, cereals and wheat were the top food allergens implicated in anaphylaxis, especially in adolescents and adults. 31 Walnut was the commonest cause of nut-induced anaphylaxis in Korean children, 29,32 unlike in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and…”

Alergia a la proteína de la leche de vaca o intolerancia a lactosa: un estudio transversal en estudiantes universitarios

“…7 Hasta 2 % de los adultos en Estados Unidos padece APLV 8 y 1 % en Europa, 9 pero en países como Corea no supera 0.3 %. 10 La prevalencia de APLV en adultos es más baja porque la alergia en los infantes se resuelve con el transcurso de los años. 11 En un estudio de cohorte en Europa se encontró una incidencia de 0.74 % de APLV durante los…”