title: Association between childhood atopic disease and parental atopic disease in a population with high consanguinity.
abstract: The aim of the study was to investigate the association between asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema in Qatari schoolchildren with allergic conditions in their parents. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 3500 Qatari schoolchildren aged 6-14 years in period: February, 2003-February, 2004. A questionnaire was used to collect the clinical history of asthma and allergic rhinitis in their parents and siblings. It was found that 21.6% of asthmatic children had mothers with asthma and 18.2% fathers with asthma. This contrasted with 6.8% of non-asthmatic children who had fathers with asthma and 9.4% mothers with asthma. As for allergic rhinitis, 26.5% of asthmatic children had mothers with allergic rhinitis and 25.3% fathers with allergic rhinitis. The frequency of either parent of the asthmatic children having allergic rhinitis was 41.8% and for both parents was 10.0%. The frequency of siblings having asthma was 36.6%, allergic rhinitis 16.4%, and eczema 29.1%. The present study revealed a strong association between respiratory allergies and eczema in parents, and their asthmatic children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, State of Qatar. abener@hmc.org.qa
authors.forename: Abdulbari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bener
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Janahi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003241:Consanguinity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004485:Eczema / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010290:Parents; D015995:Prevalence; D011780:Qatar / Q000453:epidemiology; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000453:epidemiology; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012306:Risk