• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.31 no.3 s.62
• /
• pp.361-371
• /
• 1998

Recent increases of asthma and allergies in childhood made the need for a standardized approach to international and regional comparisons of their prevalence and severity. To address these issues, 'International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)' is currently underway. In Korea, 'Nationwide Study of Asthma and Allergies in Korean Children' began in 1995 according to ISAAC protocol. ISAAC written and video questionnaires were used in this survey, but their reliability and validity were not evaluated properly yet. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the reliability and validity of two kinds of questionnaires and their usefulness in international and regional comparisons. The test and retest of two questionniares were completed by male(n=110) and female(n=111) middle school students with two and three weeks interval each. Kappa(or weighted kappa) were calculated from each questions and validity coefficients were estimated from those statistics. In Korean version of written questionnaire, the questions for allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and food allergy proved to have high kappa values (or weighted kappa values) and validity coefficients and they can be used in further studies without any correction. But some questions about asthma(especially nocturnal cough, wheezing in exercise, and severe asthma) and drug allergy need to be revised for better under-standing to study subjects. Video questionnaire has the same degree of reliability and validity when compared to written questionnaire and this is the unexpected result. Accordingly, it also need to be revised to overcome the racial and cultural differences of the study subjects. In conclusion, the Korean version of written and video questionnaires may be considered to be useful methods in international and regional comparisons of asthma and allergic diseases in childhood after correction of some questions.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.32-42
• /
• 2014

Objectives The purpose of this study is to establish relationship between allergic diseases and functional gastrointestinal disorders in children and adolescents using objective criteria and questionnaires. Methods This study surveyed 237 children and adolescents who visited the department of Pediatrics of ${\bigcirc}{\bigcirc}$ Korean Medicine Hospital from September 23rd, 2013 to December 26th, 2013. The Korean version of International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire and the Korean-translated Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome III (QPGS-Rome III) were used. We analyzed the data by using PASW Statistics 18.0 with Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test and Linear by linear association. Results There was no significant difference between prevalence of allergic diseases and functional gastrointestinal disorders. Also, there was no strong relationship between the number of allergic diseases and the functional gastrointestinal disorders. However, some parts showed significant relationships - such as asthma symptoms ever and belch; asthma symptoms last 12 months and belch; allergic rhinitis diagnosis ever and belly aches and abdominal pain around and below the belly button; allergic rhinitis treatment last 12 months and belly aches and abdominal pain around and below the belly button; and atopic dermatitis diagnosis ever and irritable bowel syndrome (respectively; p=0.046, p=0.008, p=0.004, p=0.029, p=0.035). And as the number of allergic diseases increases, the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders are 19.4%, 31.3%, 41.7%, 31.0% respectively. Conclusions Although there was no significant relationship between allergic diseases and functional gastrointestinal disorders, some gastrointestinal symptoms were related to allergic diseases.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.56 no.8
• /
• pp.338-342
• /
• 2013

Purpose: Allergic disease and its comorbidities significantly influence the quality of life. Although the comorbidities of allergic diseases are well described in adult populations, little is known about them in preschool children. In the present study, we aimed to assess the prevalence and comorbidity of allergic diseases in Korean preschool children. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study comprising 615 Korean children (age, 3 to 6 years). Symptoms of allergic diseases were assessed using the Korean version of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire that was modified for preschool children. Comorbidities of allergic diseases were assessed by 'In the last 12 months, has your child had symptoms?'. Results: The prevalence of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis as recorded using the ISAAC questionnaire, within the last 12 months was 13.8%, 40.7%, and 20.8%, respectively. The symptom rates of allergic conjunctivitis, food allergy, and drug allergy were 14.8%, 10.4%, and 0.8%, respectively. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis in children with asthma was 64.3% and that of asthma in children with allergic rhinitis was 21.6%. The prevalence of rhinitis in children with conjunctivitis was 64.8% and that of conjunctivitis in children with rhinitis was 23.6%. Conclusion: The prevalence of current rhinitis in our preschool children is shown to be higher than that previously reported. Allergic conjunctivitis is closely associated with asthma and allergic rhinitis. However, further studies are warranted to determine the prevalence and effects of these comorbidities on health outcomes in preschool children.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.157-165
• /
• 2010

The purpose of this study is to investigate allergic diseases related to allergy caused by the exposure to indoor and outdoor sources of air pollution in primary schools. The symptoms questionnaire of allergic diseases based on the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) was completed by the participants. The past and present status of asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema, and allergic conjunctivitis were investigated by providing a questionnaire to all the participating children. Questionnaires were sent to a total of 61,350 children from 438 primary schools. A total of 40,522 children responded to the questionnaire, which represents a 66.1% return rate. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), $\underline{A}$ldehydes, and Particulate Matter ($PM_{10}$) were measured and analyzed from October to December of 2006, in 82 primary schools. The final study population comprised 35,168 children with complete data which excluded incomplete questionnaire responded by 5,354 children. Based on the survey, the level of indoor air contamination did not appear to be high, but 27.2% of the schools evaluated had exceeded the $PM_{10}$ level specified by the school health guidelines ($100\;{\mu}g/m^3$). The overall mean concentration of formaldehyde was $22.07\;{\mu}g/m^3$ and 1.0% of schools (1 school) exceeded the $100\;{\mu}g/m^3$. Statistically significant relationships have been observed between indoor air quality and prevalence rate of allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis of primary schools in Korea.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.343-350
• /
• 2008

Asthma and allergic diseases are one of the most common disorders in children. Due to its increased prevalence, as well as the increased morbidity and mortality from these diseases, asthma and allergic diseases have come to be recognized as a major worldwide public health issue. In addition, socioeconomic burden of asthma and allergic diseases has increased in Korea also. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) investigated the worldwide prevalence of asthma and other allergic diseases using simple standardized methods because of the comparison of asthma and allergic diseases between the countries. In Korea, several epidemiologic studies have been conducted to determine the prevalence of asthma in children. Although these studies showed increased prevalence of asthma among Korean children (from 3.4% in 1964 to 10.1% in 1989), these findings were based on data from small numbers of subjects. The first Nationwide Study of Asthma and Allergies in Korean Children, which utilized the Korean version of ISAAC written and video questionnaire, was conducted in 1995 and the second Nationwide Study of Asthma and Allergies in Korean Children was conducted in 2000, directed by the Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Diseases. We report here the prevalence of asthma and other allergic diseases in Korean children and adolescents, and show the changes that occurred over this 5 year period. We also describe the risk factors for development of these diseases in Korean children. We developed Korean versions of the ISAAC written (WQ) and video (AVQ) questionnaires for allergic diseases. In 1995, the enrolled population consisted of 25,117 children selected from 34 elementary school and 14,946 children selected from 34 middle school across the nation, the response rate was 94.8%. In 2000, 27,831 children selected from 34 elementary school and 15,214 children selected from 34 middle school, and the response rate was 96.4%. From these studies, we can confirm that increase of the prevalences of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis in Korea, except the prevalence of food allergy. Especially, the video questionnaire showed increases in the lifetime and 12 month prevalence rates of wheeze at rest, exercise-induced wheeze, nocturnal wheeze, nocturnal cough, and severe wheeze over this period of time in middle school children. In addition, the increase of prevalences of symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of atopic dermatitis was noted significantly. Risk factor analysis showed that body mass index (BMI), passive smoking and living with a dog or cat were associated with higher risk of wheeze. Also the occurrence of fever during infancy and the frequent use of antibiotics were associated with the risk of wheeze. In conclusion, during the 5 year period from 1995 to 2000, the prevalences of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis has increased in Korean children. BMI, passive smoking, living with a dog or cat, the fever episodes in infancy, and the frequent use of antibiotics in infancy are important risk factors to development of asthma and atopic dermatitis. In the near future, the birth cohort study will be needed to investigate the causes of this increase and the natural course of allergic diseases, then we develop the methods to control asthma and allergic diseases.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.426-439
• /
• 2016

Objectives: This study was performed to measure the food allergy (FA) awareness and management by the parents of preschool children. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted with the parents of preschool children. The questionnaire was designed to identify the prevalence of food allergies, requirements of food allergy support and differences in food management according to the presence or absence allergic diseases, using a modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. After excluding incomplete responses, the data of 158 parents of preschool children (90.3%) was used for statistical analysis. Results: The rate of the preschool children who had experienced food allergy (FA, ever) was 38.6% while diagnosed for food allergy by doctor (Diagnosis of FA, ever) was 17.7%. Forty nine preschool children (80.3%) had food restriction, and twenty three of them (37.7%) had self-restriction without diagnosis. The consumption frequencies of allergenic foods in FA group, such as ramyeon, noodles, bread, eggs, yogurt and ice cream were significantly (p<0.001) lower than those of the other two groups. The major allergenic foods were eggs, milk, wheat and processed foods in FA group. The overall food allergy-related knowledge level of parents was insufficient. Only 26 parents (16.5%) had received training about food allergies. All parents wanted to receive food allergy-related supports. In addition, most of parents wanted information on substitute menu for children with food allergy. Conclusions: This study identified a lack of food allergy training for the parents of preschool children and the necessity for food allergy education. Food allergy-related supports, such as menus without allergenic ingredients, guidelines for managing food allergy & anaphylaxis emergency care plan etc, should be provided to the parents in order to avoid events related to food allergies.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.383-390
• /
• 2013

Objectives: We evaluated the effects of an allergy control program on children with atopic dermatitis (AD) in five schools located within Gyeonggi-do. Methods: Based on the results of the 12-month prevalence of AD symptoms from an International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire of all students (n=2109; 1040 boys, 1069 girls) at five randomly selected schools, 227 students with AD symptoms were screened. Finally, 188 students with greater than 1 on SCORAD (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis) determined by a physician were selected. The allergy control program includes education related to allergic diseases, skin prick tests, and SCORAD evaluation, as well as keeping a daily journal to check the usage of moisturizer at least once a day. To determine the effectiveness of the allergy control program, SCORAD evaluation was performed again six weeks later. Results: The most common symptom for 12-month prevalence was rhinorrhea (33.9%), followed by atopic skin lesions (14.8%) and wheezing (4.0%). The 12-month prevalences of the three allergic diseases were higher for boys than for girls, and a significant difference was found for allergic rhinitis (P<0.001). The mean SCORAD index decreased significantly from 26.1 to 17.5 after the completion of the six-week control program (P<0.01). In particular, these differences were more pronounced for the group which used the daily journal (P<0.001). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the allergy control program including usage of a daily journal as well as regular monitoring could be a promising tool for preventing and alleviating the symptoms of allergic diseases.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.160-168
• /
• 2015

Purpose: This study was to find epidemiological trends in the prevalence of allergic diseases among children and adolescents in Jeju Province, Korea. Methods: Two questionnaire surveys of the same method were conducted, respectively, in 2008 and in 2013 with five years' interval with 1,296 participants in 2008 and 878 in 2013 who were elementary and secondary students sampled at random from the same five schools. 'International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)' was applied to the parents with their written consent to the survey. Results: The results of analysis showed an increasing trend in the prevalence of lifetime asthma (8.6% in 2008 and 10.4% in 2013) and in the prevalence of lifetime allergic rhinitis (25.3% in 2008 and 31.1% in 2013) (p=.003), and a decreasing trend in the prevalence of lifetime atopic dermatitis (32.0% in 2008 and 26.8% in 2013) (p=.011). Conclusion: This research showed an increasing trend in the prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis among children and adolescents in Jeju Province compared to that 5 years ago, but represented a declining trend in the prevalence of atopic dermatitis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.133-150
• /
• 2021

Purpose: The epidemiologic understanding of allergic diseases, including prevalence and risk factors, is needed for allergy management. This study identified the prevalence of and coping patterns for various types of allergies, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), atopic dermatitis (AD), allergic conjunctivitis (AC), food allergy (FA), and drug allergy (DA), in Nam-gu, Ulsan, one of the most industrialized districts in Korea. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using a self-report multiple choice questionnaire. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) and other measures were reviewed to develop the questionnaire. Data was collected from May 9th to November 30th of 2018. Descriptive and frequency analyses were performed to apprehend the prevalence of symptoms, diagnostic rates, diagnosis dates, treatment history, and others. Results: By randomized sampling, 9,102 children from 25 nurseries, 25 kindergartens, and 15 elementary schools participated in the study. The prevalence of asthma, AR, AD, AC, FA, and DA were 11.1%, 48.7%, 15.5%, 17.6%, 15.1%, and 2.0%, respectively. The respective rate of ever being diagnosed with asthma, AR, AD, AC, FA, and DA were 4.2%, 38.4%, 25.5%, 23.3%, 9.7%, and 1.1%, respectively. Last year's allergy related school absenteeism rates were 10.8%, 4.1%, and 1.3% for asthma, AR, and AD, respectively. Lastly, 59.2% of the participants considered air pollution as the most challenging factor in allergy management. Conclusion: This study comprehensively investigated the current state of various allergic diseases in Nam-gu, Ulsan. The study's findings are expected to be applied to strategies for decreasing the socioeconomic burden of allergic diseases.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.52 no.6
• /
• pp.559-568
• /
• 2019

Purpose: This study examined the prevalence of food allergies and allergenic factors in a selected sample of children living in Seoul, Korea, along with their dietary habits, environmental factors, and diseases as risk factors for food allergy. The results of this study will provide basic data for addressing food allergies. Methods: We selected 3,004 pre-school and school-age children, aged 0 ~ 12, in the 25 districts of Seoul as the study sample. Structured self-report questionnaires were administered over a two-month period in July-August 2018, and the children's parents recorded the answers on their children's behalf. The research tools in this study included the Korean version of the questionnaire from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Results: The physician-diagnosed prevalence rate of food allergies was 14.2%, while 20.4% of the children experienced allergic symptoms at least once and 17.4% reported symptoms within the previous 12 months. The children's symptoms included skin problems (88.1%), gastrointestinal issues (19.2%), oral issues (16.7%), respiratory issues (12.7%), and systemic issues (1.3%). The causes of allergies included eggs, peaches, milk, peanuts, and shrimps. The factors influencing the experience of food allergies were the consumption of cereal (aOR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.09 ~ 2.10; p = 0.013), potatoes (aOR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.33 ~ 2.65; p < 0.001), and fast food (aOR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.10 ~ 2.72; p = 0.017). Having food allergy symptoms was associated with a higher risk of experiencing asthma (aOR, 4.22 95% CI, 3.10 ~ 5.76; p < 0.001), allergic rhinitis (aOR, 2.53; 95% CI, 2.03 ~ 3.15; p < 0.001), and atopic dermatitis symptoms (aOR, 3.56; 95% CI, 2.88 ~ 4.40; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Episodes of food allergies warrant examining regular food consumption and placing dietary restrictions through early diagnosis as these episodes may imply the presence of other allergies. Our findings offer basic insights into the patterns, prevalence and symptoms of children's food allergies in Seoul, and our findings will contribute to identifying effective interventions for food allergies.