Trends in the Epidemiology of Allergic Diseases of the Airways in Children Growing Up in an Urban Agglomeration

Abstract

The prevalence of asthma and allergies among children has become an increasing problem in the last few decades. Data on the population of children and adolescents, especially living in polluted cities, are limited and based on studies carried out in small groups. In our study, we analyzed the incidence of asthma and allergic rhinitis between 2014 and 2018. We analyzed data collected from nearly 30,000 children aged seven to eight and adolescents aged 16-17, which allowed us to assess the frequency of allergic diseases in the population of children and youth in Krakow. More than 40% of respondents reported allergic symptoms, and nearly 50% of them were not diagnosed and treated. In the group of seven- and eight-year-olds with a positive history of allergies, 52% had allergic rhinitis and 9.1% had asthma. In the group of 16-17-year-olds, allergic rhinitis was diagnosed in 35.8%, while asthma was found in 4.9% of cases. The results obtained over the course of 10 years has shown the reduction in the frequency of asthma (from 22% in the case of asthma in both age groups) and allergic rhinitis cases (from 63.9% in adolescents). In our opinion, this can be considered a positive effect of the preventive measures taken in Kraków after 2010. Although there is still a higher incidence of allergic diseases among children and young people living in urban areas compared to rural areas, the trend apparently has reversed for some diseases.

Keywords: air pollution; allergic diseases; allergic rhinitis; asthma; epidemiology.

Figure 1

Percentage of final diagnoses in examined groups (seven to eight years, 2066 patients and 16–17 years, 763 patients).

Figure 2

Incidence of allergic rhinitis in examined groups (seven to eight years, 2066 patients, regression coefficient = −0.120; p = 0.879 and 16–17 years, 763 patients, regression coefficient = −0.571; p = 0.236) in 2008–2018 (2009–2013 non tested).

Figure 3

Incidence of asthma in examined groups (seven to eight years, 2066 patients regression coefficient = −0.908 p = 0.012 and 16–17 years, 763 patients, regression coefficient = −0.898; p = 0.015) in 2008–2018 (2009–2013 non tested).

Figure 4

Annual mean concentrations of PM10 (left) and PM2.5 (right) in Krakow from three measurement points [µg/m³] in the years 2010–2018 according to Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Poland (modified); the norm value (40 µg/m³ for PM10 and 25 µg/m³ for PM2.5) is marked with a red line.