High prevalence of allergy in north cypriot children

Dalkan C., Galip N., Tekguc H., Cobanoglu N., Bahceciler N.

Paediatrics and International Child Health, cilt.34, sa.1, ss.37-42, 2014 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 34 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2014
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1179/2046905513y.0000000074
  • Dergi Adı: Paediatrics and International Child Health
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.37-42
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Cyprus, ISAAC, Asthma, Wheezing, Skin prick test, Lung function test, ASTHMA SYMPTOMS, CHILDHOOD ASTHMA
  • Ankara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Background: The ISAAC (the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) questionnaire has been used to standardize research on the prevalence of asthma in children since 1991. Aim: In this Phase I study, the prevalence of asthma, other allergic diseases and atopy was evaluated in North Cyprus. Methods: The ISAAC questionnaire was distributed to grades I-V schoolchildren. Data were obtained from parents of 580 schoolchildren aged between 7 and 12 years attending a primary school in Nicosia, the capital of North Cyprus. Of those, a sub-group of 97 (16.7%) randomly selected children were evaluated by skin prick test (SPT) and lung function test (LFT). Results: The prevalence rates of asthma ever, current wheezing and SPT-positivity were 20.8%, 10% and 68%, respectively. The prevalence of atopy was significantly higher in the randomly selected subgroup of 97 (68%) patients subjected to SPT and LFT, and the house dust mite (HDM) was the allergen to which children were most frequently sensitized. Conclusions: In northern Cyprus, the prevalence rates of asthma, allergic diseases and atopic sensitization in 7-12-year-old children are extremely high. Sensitization to HDM is a risk factor for the development of asthma. © W. S. Maney & Son Ltd 2014.