title: Exploring Household-level Risk Factors for Self-reported Prevalence of Allergic Diseases Among Low-income Households in Seoul, Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Indoor risk factors for allergic diseases in low-income households in Korea have been characterized only partially. We evaluated the prevalences of atopic dermatitis, asthma, and allergic rhinitis in Seoul, Korea, to identify key housing and behavioral risk factors of low-income households.
  
  
  METHODS
  Statistical analysis of the prevalence of these diseases and various risk factors was conducted using data from a 2010 Ministry of Environment household survey. Logistic regression models were generated using data from 511 low-income household apartments in districts of Seoul.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In general, housing factors such as renovation history (P<0.1) and crowding status (P<0.01) were associated with allergic rhinitis, whereas behavioral factors such as frequency of indoor ventilation (P<0.05) and cleaning (P<0.1) were inversely correlated with atopic dermatitis. Indoor smoking was a major trigger of asthma and atopic dermatitis in low-income households (P<0.05). The presence of mold and water leakage in houses were the most important risk factors for all three diseases (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Various risk factors play a role in triggering allergic diseases among low-income households in Seoul, and health or environmental programs mitigating allergic diseases should be tailored to address appropriate housing or behavioral factors in target populations.
authors.affiliation: The Environmental Health Center for Asthma, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: SungChul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States. ; Institute of Allergy and Immunology, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dohyeong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.affiliation: The Environmental Health Center for Asthma, Korea University, Seoul, Korea. ; Institute of Allergy and Immunology, Korea University, Seoul, Korea. ; Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: The Environmental Health Center for Asthma, Korea University, Seoul, Korea. ; Institute of Allergy and Immunology, Korea University, Seoul, Korea. ; Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Tae
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Choung
keywords: Atopic dermatitis; Korea; allergic rhinitis; asthma; low-income population; risk factors