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. 2022 Oct;129(4):481-489.
doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2022.06.030. Epub 2022 Jul 14.

The shifting prevalence of asthma and allergic disease in US children

Cynthia A Pate  1 , Hatice S Zahran  2 , Josephine Malilay  2 , Joy Hsu  2
Affiliations

The shifting prevalence of asthma and allergic disease in US children

Cynthia A Pate et al. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2022 Oct.

Abstract

Background: Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affected 5 million children. Allergy is a common comorbidity of asthma. Having both conditions is associated with unfavorable health outcomes and impaired quality of life.

Objective: Purpose of this study was to assess allergy and its association with asthma by select characteristics among children to determine differences by populations.

Methods: National Health Interview Survey data (2007-2018) were used to assess asthma and allergy status, trends, and the association between allergy and asthma by select characteristics among US children (aged 0-17 years).

Results: Prevalence of asthma decreased among all children (slope [-] P < .001) and among those with allergy (slope [-] P = .002). More children had respiratory allergy (14.7%), followed by skin allergy (12.7%) and food allergy (6.4%). Prevalence of respiratory allergy significantly decreased among White non-Hispanic children (slope [-] P = .002), food allergy increased among White non-Hispanic (slope [+] P < .001) and Hispanic children (slope [+] P = .003), and skin allergy increased among Hispanic children (slope [+] P = .04). Depending on number and type, children with allergy were 2 to 8 times (skin allergy only and having all 3 allergies, respectively) more likely to have current asthma than were children without allergy. Among children with current asthma, having any allergy was significantly associated with missed school days (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.33 [1.03-1.72]; P = .02) and taking preventive medication daily (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.89 [1.32-2.71]; P < .001).

Conclusion: Trends in allergies across years differed by race and ethnicity. Strength of association between asthma and allergy differed by type and number of allergies, being highest among children having all 3 types of allergies. Having both asthma and allergy was associated with unfavorable asthma outcomes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: none

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Allergy prevalence among children by allergy type and year, 2007–2018. APC, annual percent change. Any allergy includes having had hay fever, respiratory allergy, skin allergy, or food allergy in the past 12 months. *p-value of trend line slope is statistically significant at 0.05. Model-based (trend line) and observed prevalence estimates (dots) were plotted.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Allergy prevalence among children by race and ethnicity and year, 2007–2018. APC, annual percent change. NH, non-Hispanic. Any allergy includes having had hay fever, respiratory allergy, skin allergy, or food allergy in past 12 months. *p-value of trend line slope is statistically significant at 0.05. Model-based (trend line) and observed prevalence estimates (dots) were plotted.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Current asthma prevalence by allergy type among children by year, 2007–2018. APC, annual percent change. *p-value of trend line slope is statistically significant at 0.05. Model-based (trend line) and observed prevalence estimates (dots) were plotted.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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