Prevalence and risk factors of asthma and allergic diseases among schoolchildren in Bolu, Turkey

AIM: In this study we aimed to detect the prevalence and risk factors of asthma and allergic diseases in children aged between 7 and 14 years old at rural and urban areas of Bolu, Turkey. METHODS: Questionnaire of International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) phase one and questionnaire including questions about family, demographic, socio-economic characteristics of children were applied to 931 schoolchildren who were selected by randomized sampling. RESULTS: In children, the prevalence of diseases and symptoms were as follows: wheeze ever: 15.5%, asthma: 5.6%, nasal symptoms ever: 41.4%, allergic rhinitis: 23.2%, itchy rash ever: 5.9% and eczema: 5.0%. In multivariate regression analysis, presence of allergic disease in the family was risk factor for wheezing (OR=1.74, 95% CI=1.19-2.76), asthma (OR=2.19, CI=1.06-4.52), allergic rhinitis (OR=2.68, CI=1.80-3.98) and eczema (OR=2.33, CI=1.17-4.65); living in shanties was risk factor for allergic rhinitis (OR=5.26, CI=2.1-13.16); a monthly income below $300 was risk factor for asthma (OR=2.54, CI=1.06-6.08). CONCLUSION: It was detected that the prevalence of allergic rhinitis and its symptoms was more common in schoolchildren living in Bolu. Presence of allergic disease in fathers or mothers and low socio-economic level increase the risk of asthma and other allergic diseases in children.