Childhood allergic diseases across geographical regions of Kandy and Anuradhapura districts of Sri Lanka; where do the rates stand among other regions: experience from Global asthma network Phase 1 study

Abstract

Background Asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema have been identified as the most prevalent childhood allergic diseases. However, the prevalence of these allergic diseases can vary in different regions within a country and in the world. Methods The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema in schoolchildren in the Kandy and Anuradhapura districts of Sri Lanka. This was a multicentre cross sectional study carried out among children of age 6–7 years and 13–14 years attending state schools fulfilling the entry criteria of the Global Asthma Network Phase 1 study methodology. Results A total of 3673 children of 6–7 years and 4658 children of 13–14 years were recruited. The prevalence of current asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema were 12% (CI 10.44–13.75), 15.7% (CI 13.94–17.64) and 9.7% (CI 8.30–11.31) among 6–7 years age group and 15.3% (CI 13.66–17.09), 30.5% (CI 28.86–32.74) and 7.3% (CI 6.15–8.65) respectively among the 13–14 age group in Kandy district. The reported prevalence rates of the disease conditions were 9.9% (CI 8.72–11.22), 10.1% (CI 8.90–11.44) and 5.9% (CI 4.98–6.98) among 6–7 years age group and 14.9% (CI 13.67–16.22), 22.5% (CI 21.04–24.03) and 1.8% (CI 1.38–2.34) in the 13–14 years age group in Anuradhapura district. When comparing these prevalence rates, there is relatively a higher prevalence of childhood allergic diseases in Kandy district. This difference is statistically significant in all three allergic disease conditions (P < 0.001). Conclusion Prevalence of allergic diseases in Anuradhapura is closer to reported data in the previous studies. There is relatively higher prevalence of childhood allergic diseases among children in Kandy district.

Epidemiology of eczema among adolescents aged 13-14 years from Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka: an analytical cross-sectional study

“…Anuradhapura Medical Journal 2023| Volume 17 | Issue 2 | Page |4-10 years (1.21%; 95%CI 0.18%-2.24% per decade) compared to adolescents aged 13-14 years (0.98%; 95%CI 0.014%-1.92%) [17]. Furthermore, a study comparing the prevalence of eczema among adolescents aged 13-14 years from the Anuradhapura and the Kandy districts reported a lower prevalence in the Anuradhapura district (1.8%; 95%CI 1.38-2.34) compared to the Kandy district (7.3%; 95%CI 6.15-8.65) [18]. However, the current study reports a significantly higher prevalence of eczema among adolescents aged 13-14 years from the Anuradhapura (p<0.01) which may be because the current study was conducted in the municipal council area.…”

A review of common influencing factors and possible mechanisms associated with allergic diseases complicating tic disorders in children

“…In 2021, Liu showed that allergic diseases increased the severity of TD childhood (48). In 2022, a meta-analysis provided strong evidence for a relationship between allergic diseases and TD: TD is positively associated with AA, AR, and AC (21). In 2022, Zhang et al showed some concordance with TD in the grading and distribution of IgE and sIgE levels in children with allergic diseases (49).…”

“…Over the past 20 years, the prevalence of childhood allergic diseases has been increasing globally ( 20 , 21 ), already affecting about 25% of children ( 22 ). In 2010, the occurrence of FA among children in the US stood at 8.0% ( 23 ), while in 2019, the prevalence of FA among children aged 2 years and below in Wenzhou, China, escalated to 11.1% ( 24 ).…”