title: Prevalence of immediate-type food allergy in Korean schoolchildren: a population-based study.
abstract: Although the prevalence and causes of food allergy (FA) vary by geographic location, large well-designed epidemiological studies in Asia are lacking. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of immediate-type FA in the general population of Korean schoolchildren. A population-based,  cross-sectional study was conducted in 2010 using a stratified two-stage cluster-sampling design. In this survey, children aged 6-7 years and 12-13 years were randomly selected, and the presence of FA was determined by a questionnaire survey and assessment of specific IgE. After  adjustment for missing data, 3907 children aged 6-7 years and 3975 students aged 12-13 years who completed the questionnaire were included in this study. In children aged 6-7 years, the prevalence of confirmed immediate-type FA was 0.3%, and the prevalence of possible  immediate-type FA was 0.3%. By contrast, 0.6 and 1.0% of children aged 12-13 years had confirmed immediate-type FA and possible immediate-type FA, respectively. In 6- to 7-year-old children, egg was the most frequent causative food associated with a confirmed or possible immediate-type  FA. In 12- to 13-year-old children, crustaceans were the most frequent cause of confirmed immediate-type FA, and fruit was most frequently involved in possible immediate-type FA. This is the first nationwide population-based study of FA in Korean schoolchildren. Unlike in western countries,  the prevalence of immediate-type FA seems to be low. In 12- to 13 year-old children with confirmed immediate-type FA, peanuts/tree nuts are not common causes, whereas crustaceans are frequent triggers.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Environmental Health Center for Atopic Diseases, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Kangmo
authors: K
authors: Ahn
authors: Jihyun
authors: J
authors: Kim
authors: Myung-Il
authors: MI
authors: Hahm
authors: So-Yeon
authors: SY
authors: Lee
authors: Woo Kyung
authors: WK
authors: Kim
authors: Yoomi
authors: Y
authors: Chae
authors: Yong Mean
authors: YM
authors: Park
authors: Man Yong
authors: MY
authors: Han
authors: Kee-Jae
authors: KJ
authors: Lee
authors: Ja Kyoung
authors: JK
authors: Kim
authors: Eun Seok
authors: ES
authors: Yang
authors: Ho-Jang
authors: HJ
authors: Kwon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012423:Rural Health; D014504:Urban Health
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E