Prevalence of allergic disease and risk factors in medical students

Abstract

The aim of this study was to estimate prevalence of allergic disease in young adults. Materials and methods. The study involved 231 medical students in their fourth or fifth year aged 20 to 38 years: 62 males and 169 females (the response rate was 82.2 %). To study prevalence of allergic disease, we used the standard international questionnaire GA2LEN with additional questions about risk factors, anthropometric data and functional tests. The data were analyzed using statistical software packages Statistica 7 and Epinfo (WHO, version 5). Results. Prevalence of risk factors in young adults was as high as 27.7 % for smoking, 37.7 % for father’s smoking, 15.4 % for mother’s smoking, 8.8 % for obesity, and 15.2 % for overweight. A half of responders (54.5 %) experienced food allergy, 27.7 % had poor living conditions, and 35.9 % had acute respiratory infections (two or more episodes per year). Wheezing during the previous 12 months was reported in 22.6 % of males and 22.6 % of females. Bronchial asthma (BA) confirmed was diagnosed in 4.9 % and 4.1 %, respectively. Symptoms of allergic rhinitis were reported more often by females (45.0 % vs 25.8 % in males; p = 0.029), rhinitis during last 12 months was in 40.2 % and 16.1%, respectively (p = 0.045), rhinitis and conjunctivitis were in 27.8 % and 11.3 %, respectively (p = 0.009). Frequency of chronic sinusitis symptoms was not related to gender; nasal congestion longer than 12 weeks was reported by 12.9 % of males and 13.7 % of females, facial pain was noted by 4.8 % and 6.0 %, respectively; running nose was noted by 11.3 % and 21.4 %, respectively; impaired smelling was reported in 9.7 % and 4.2 %, respectively. Diagnosis of sinusitis was confirmed in 11.3 % of males and 8.9 % of females. Itchy rash whenever was reported by 14.5 % of males and 22.5 % of females, including this during the previous 12 months by 9.7 % and 17.2 %, respectively. Eczema was diagnosed in 12.9 % and 18.4 %, respectively. Conclusion: The results showed a high prevalence of allergic diseases in medical students especially in females. These results require further research to develop preventive measures.