title: Dairy food, calcium and vitamin D intake and prevalence of allergic disorders in pregnant Japanese women.
abstract: METHODS
  Epidemiological evidence for the associations between intake of dairy products, calcium and vitamin D and allergic disorders has been inconsistent.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine such associations in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study enrolled 1745 pregnant women. The  definitions of wheeze and asthma were based on European Community Respiratory Health Survey criteria, whereas those of eczema and rhinoconjunctivitis were based on International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood criteria. Information on dietary factors was collected using a validated  self-administered diet history questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intake of total dairy products, milk, yoghurt, cheese and calcium was not related to the prevalence of wheeze, asthma, eczema or rhinoconjunctivitis. After adjustment for potential confounders, vitamin D intake was found to be independently  positively associated with the prevalence of asthma: the adjusted ORs for asthma in the first, second, third and fourth quartiles were respectively 1.00 (reference), 1.26 (95%CI 0.65-2.50), 2.08 (95%CI 1.13-3.94), and 1.82 (95%CI 0.97-3.51, P for trend = 0.03). There  were no relationships between vitamin D consumption and the prevalence of wheeze, eczema or rhinoconjunctivitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that vitamin D intake may be positively related to the prevalence of asthma in young adult Japanese women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan. miyake-y@fukuoka-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okubo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arakawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003611:Dairy Products; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D