• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.27
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• pp.6.1-6.8
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• 2012

Objectives: Childhood allergic diseases are a major concern because they lead to a heavy economic burden and poor quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of childhood atopic dermatitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and the comorbidity of allergic diseases in Seoul, Korea. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey between May and October 2010 to evaluate the prevalence of childhood allergic diseases, including atopic dermatitis, asthma, and allergic rhinitis, using a questionnaire from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood group. Each questionnaire was completed by the parent or guardian of a child. Results: In the 31,201 children studied, the prevalence of atopic dermatitis symptoms in the past 12 months was 19.3% in children 0 to 3 years of age, 19.7% in children 4 to 6 years of age, 16.7% in children 7 to 9 years of age, and 14.5% in children 10 to 13 years of age (p for trend < 0.001). The prevalence of asthma in these age groups was 16.5%, 9.8%, 6.5%, and 5.4%, respectively (p for trend < 0.001). The prevalence of allergic rhinitis in these age groups was 28.5%, 38.0%, 38.5%, and 35.9%, respectively (p for trend = 0.043). The percentage of subjects with both atopic dermatitis and asthma, both asthma and allergic rhinitis, or both atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis was 2.5%, 4.7%, and 8.7%, respectively. The prevalence of comorbid allergic diseases decreased with age (p for trend < 0.001). Conclusions: Our study revealed that the prevalence of some allergic diseases, such as atopic dermatitis and asthma, was relatively high in very young children and that all of the principal allergic diseases in children often co-exist.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.485-498
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• 2011

The aim of this study was to acquire information related to recognition of atopic dermatitis, asthma, and snack intake status among middle school students in the Seoul area. The survey was carried out by self-questionnaires on 535 students in the 2nd and 3rd grade (88 Patients: atopic dermatitis and asthma group and 428 Control: healthy group). All data were analyzed using SPSS (version 13.0) software. The results were as follows: Among patients, females (61.4%) had a significantly higher prevalence of symptoms than males (38.6%) (p<0.001). Body mass index was not significantly different between the patients and Control group. The most common source for obtaining information about atopic dermatitis and asthma was 'TV or radio' (38.4%), followed by 'family members or relatives' (27.3%) in patients, but 'Internet' (22.2%) was most common in the control group (p<0.05). Although awareness of atopic dermatitis and asthma was similarly low between the two groups, patients had a higher percentage of correct answers on atopic knowledge (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in knowledge of asthma between the two groups. Frequency of snack intake was significantly lower in patients (p<0.05), and consumption of sundae, fried food, liquefied fermented milk, hamburger, pizza, and french fries was also significantly lower (p<0.05). The reason of selecting snacks was mainly 'taste' in both groups. In conclusion, education regarding atopic knowledge and appropriate snack selection is necessary for students with atopic dermatitis or asthma.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.8
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• pp.408-414
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• 2021

Background: Complementary food in infancy is necessary for human growth, neurodevelopment, and health. However, the role of allergen consumption in early infancy and its effects on the development of food allergy or tolerance remain unclear. Purpose: To investigate the influence of age at the time of complementary food introduction on the development of asthma and atopic dermatitis in Korean children aged 1-3 years. Methods: We combined data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected from 2010 to 2014 and analyzed 1619 children aged 1-3 years who were included in the survey. Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify associations among type of feeding, age at the time of complementary food introduction, and doctor-diagnosed atopic dermatitis and asthma. Results: Age at the time of complementary food introduction was not significantly associated with doctor-diagnosed atopic dermatitis and asthma in children aged 1-3 years. In the univariate analysis, children with asthma showed higher water and sodium intake levels than nonasthmatic children. However, this relationship was not significant in the multivariate regression analysis. Conclusion: The present study revealed no statistically significant relationship between age at the time of complementary food introduction and the risk of atopic dermatitis and asthma in young Korean children. A national prospective study is needed to clarify the influence of age at the time of complementary food introduction on the development of allergic diseases.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.230-237
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• 2015

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis in elementary school students according to the body mass index. Methods: This study was conducted as cross-sectional descriptive research using a structured questionnaire. Data were collected from 6,398 students at 15 elementary schools located in Y City in Korea. The cross-sectional survey used the Korean version of International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the odds ratios of body mass index. Results: The symptom prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis in the last 12 months was 12.4%, 49.5%, and 24.5%, respectively. The symptom prevalence of asthma was significantly higher in the obesity group. The number of those without any asthma symptom in lifetime was significantly smaller in the overweight (OR=0.70, p=.004) and obesity (OR=0.57, p=.005) groups than in the healthy weight group. Conclusion: These results suggest that asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis prevention programs for elementary school students should include weight control intervention.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.7
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• pp.499-505
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• 2010

The present study aimed to investigate whether the polymorphisms in the TSLPR gene are associated with atopic and asthmatic disease in the Korean population. We identified eleven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and two variation sites in the TSLPR gene, including the promoter region. The genotype and allele frequencies of g.33G>C of the TSLPR gene in asthma patients were significantly different from the respective frequencies of the control group (P = 0.006 and 0.003, respectively). Our additional analysis showed that the genotype and allele frequencies of the g.33G>C and g.19646A>G of the TSLPR gene were significantly associated in the atopic asthma patients rather than in the non-atopic asthma patients (genotype frequencies; P = 0.0001 and 0.0003 respectively, allele frequencies; P = 0.0005 and 0.0001 in that order). Our results suggest that the SNPs of the TSLPR gene could be associated with the susceptibility to atopic asthma in the Korean population.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.60 no.9
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• pp.290-295
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• 2017

Purpose: Airway pathology in children with atopic asthma can be reflected by the concave shape of the maximal expiratory flow-volume (MEFV) curve and high fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) values. We evaluated the capacity of the curvilinearity of the MEFV curve, FeNO, and their combination to distinguish subjects with atopic asthma from healthy individuals. Methods: FeNO and angle ${\beta}$, which characterizes the general configuration of the MEFV curve, were determined in 119 steroid-naïve individuals with atopic asthma aged 8 to 16 years, and in 92 age-matched healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to determine the cutoff points of FeNO and angle ${\beta}$ that provided the best combination of sensitivity and specificity for asthma detection. Results: Asthmatic patients had a significantly smaller angle ${\beta}$ and higher FeNO compared with healthy controls (both, P<0.001). For asthma detection, the best cutoff values of angle ${\beta}$ and FeNO were observed at $189.3^{\circ}$ and 22 parts per billion, respectively. The area under the ROC curve for the combination of angle ${\beta}$ and FeNO improved to 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.87-0.95) from 0.80 (95% CI, 0.75-0.86; P<0.001) for angle ${\beta}$ alone and 0.86 (95% CI, 0.82-0.91; P=0.002) for FeNO alone. In addition, the combination enhanced sensitivity with no significant decrease in specificity. Conclusion: These data suggest that the combined use of the curvilinearity of the MEFV curve and FeNO is a useful tool to differentiate between children with and without atopic asthma.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.7
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• pp.278-283
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• 2020

Background: Major questions remain regarding the agestratified trends of allergic diseases and asthma in Korea. Purpose: To identify the estimated recent prevalence and 10-year trends in asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis among the Korean population from 2008 to 2017. Methods: This nationwide cross-sectional survey (Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) over 10 years (2008-2017) examined representative samples of the Korean population (n=85,006) including 2,131 infants, 4,352 preschool children, 12,919 school-age children, 44,200 adults, and 21,404 elderly adults. Results: In the 2016 to 2017 population, the estimated prevalence of asthma was 0.9% in infants, 2.3% in preschool children, 4.1% in school-age children, 2.3% in adults, and 4.1% in the elderly. The estimated prevalence of allergic rhinitis was 9.0%, 20.2%, 27.6%, 17.1%, and 6.9%, respectively. The estimated prevalence of atopic dermatitis was 5.9%, 11.3%, 14.6%, 3.9%, and 1.6%, respectively. Ten-year trends revealed a significant decrease in asthma prevalence in infants, preschool children, and the elderly. and in atopic dermatitis prevalence in infants and preschool children (P<0.05 for all trends). Furthermore, 10-year trends demonstrated a significant increase in allergic rhinitis prevalence in school-age children, adults, and the elderly, and in atopic dermatitis prevalence in school-age children and the elderly (P<0.05 for all trends). Conclusion: These results improve our understanding of the age-stratified epidemiology of allergic diseases in Korea and suggest the need for the development of tailored and precise strategies to prevent allergic diseases in different age groups.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.108-117
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• 2024

Purpose: This study investigated the relationship between allergic diseases, general anxiety disorder, and depressive symptoms among Korean adolescents. Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted on the findings of the 18th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2022). The study included 51,850 adolescents and analyzed the relationships among allergic diseases, general anxiety disorder, and depressive symptoms using complex samples logistic regression analysis. Results: Among the Korean adolescents, 12.7% experienced general anxiety disorder, while 28.7% experienced depressive symptoms. The prevalence of allergic diseases was 5.7% for asthma, 36.3% for allergic rhinitis, and 22.2% for atopic dermatitis. General anxiety disorder was associated with asthma and allergic rhinitis but not atopic dermatitis. Depressive symptoms were associated asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Conclusion: Examining the correlation among allergic diseases, general anxiety disorder, and depressive symptoms in adolescents underscores the need for implementing suitable strategies. Moreover, when addressing general anxiety disorder and depressive symptoms in adolescents, it becomes crucial to consider the presence of allergic diseases.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.20-27
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors affecting childhood asthma and atopic dermatitis. Methods: For this study, data for 1,170 children (1-11 years) from the Fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES V-2, 2011) were analyzed. First correlation matrices were computed to test the normality of every data set and then to be in accordance with the real demographic composition, data were added weight before being analyzed. Results: The child with asthma of a three generation family (OR=3.91, 95% CI [1.33, 11.45], p=.013) compared with a two generation family showed higher asthma development, and maternal asthma (OR=9.71, 95% CI [2.66, 35.40], p=.001) showed higher asthma development in child. The only factor affecting atopic dermatitis was parental perceptions of child health: poor (OR=3.40, 95% CI [1.29, 8.98], p=.014). Conclusion: These results suggest that childhood asthma and atopic dermatitis are both affected by parental perceptions of child health. Accordingly, management and support programs for children who have asthma and/or atopic dermatitis and their families should be comprehensive and also give attention to any other health problems because health perception represents quality of life.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.89-95
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• 2015

Purpose: House dust mite (HDM) has been suggested to be the most important aeroallergen responsible for atopic asthma in Korea. We aimed to investigate that specific IgE antibodies to HDM and other common indoor aeroallergens contribute differently to total serum IgE and show different relationships with longitudinal fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) measurements in Korean atopic asthmatic patients. Methods: A total of 193 children aged 8 to 16 years with intermittent or mild persistent atopic asthma were recruited. Sera were assayed for total IgE and specific IgE antibodies to HDM and other common indoor allergens. FeNO was serially measured 10 times or more over 2 years when subjects were not receiving controller medications. Results: In 152 children who completed the study, IgE antibodies to specific HDM were more prevalent than those to other common indoor aeroallergens. In addition, IgE antibody titers to HDM were the strongest contributor to total IgE increases. Furthermore, only HDM-specific IgE antibody titer significantly correlated with maximum FeNO (r=0.21, P=0.029) and the rate of FeNO higher than 21 parts per billion (ppb) (r=0.30, P=0.002). Eight patients (5%) were found to have maximum FeNO of 21 ppb or less, suggesting the presence of a low FeNO phenotype among atopic asthmatic patients. Conclusion: The quantity of HDM-specific IgE antibody provides a possible explanation for increases of total IgE and significantly correlates with the amount and frequency of FeNO increases in Korean atopic asthmatic patients.