Patterns of psychosocial adaptation and allergic disorders in Korean schoolchildren.
BACKGROUND
To date, there is little evidence to support an association between symptoms of pediatric allergic disorders and psychosocial factors in the general population, particularly in Asian countries. The current study aims to investigate the relationship between psychosocial factors and symptoms of allergic disorders and to investigate the association between behavior problems and biomarkers of atopy.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey of parental responses to the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire and the Korean version of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was conducted from one elementary school in Seoul, Korea. Skin prick tests for 18 major allergens were also performed.


RESULTS
A total of 780 children with valid CBCL surveys were included in the study. Externalizing problems were significantly larger in children with asthmatic symptoms, while internalizing problems were significantly larger in children with symptoms of both asthma and allergic rhinitis. Social adaptations were significantly lower in children with symptoms of allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis. Boys with more positive allergens via the skin prick tests showed larger internalizing problems.


CONCLUSIONS
While school children with allergic symptoms have been reported to have more difficulties with psychosocial adaptation, the patterns of psychosocial problems varied somewhat according to the types of atopic disorder. There was a positive relationship between atopy and behavior problems, especially in boys.
Park
JinAh
J
Department of Child Welfare, Namseoul University, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
Byoung-Ju
BJ
Kwon
Ji-Won
JW
Song
Young Hwa
YH
Yu
Jinho
J
Kim
Hyo-Bin
HB
Lee
So-Yeon
SY
Kim
Woo Kyung
WK
Jee
Hye Mi
HM
Kim
Kyung Won
KW
Kim
Kyu-Earn
KE
Hong
Soo-Jong
SJ
Shin
Yee-Jin
YJ
D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity; D008297:Male; D011584:Psychology; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D012882:Skin Tests; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires