title: Characteristics and predictors of allergic rhinitis undertreatment in primary care.
abstract: Although allergic rhinitis is considered a raising medical problem in many countries it is often undertreated. The reasons for this phenomenon are not completely clear.The aim of this study is to evaluate factors associated with allergic rhinitis under-/no treatment.A sample of 518 allergic rhinitis patients recruited by their primary care physicians, as a part of the ARGA study, were invited to fill in a specific questionnaire regarding rhinitis symptoms, treatment, and rhinitis-related work/social disability. Chi-square test and logistic regression were performed to assess risk factors for allergic rhinitis under-/no treatment.Over one out of four patients had no treatment despite the symptoms and 13.5% were inadequately treated. Participants with asthma (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.30-0.75) and conjunctivitis (0.44, 95% CI 0.27-0.71) were at lower risk of allergic rhinitis under-/no treatment: in asthmatics this reduction was related mainly to the concomitant asthma treatment (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.10-0.37).Asthmatics with under-/not treated rhinitis had the highest prevalence of rhinitis-related quality of life impairment.Under-/no treatment for allergic rhinitis is still rather frequent despite the relevance of this disease. The simultaneous presence of asthma and an anti-asthmatic therapy are able to influence positively the treatment. Targeted interventions toward a better characterization and a tight follow-up of rhinitis patient without asthma are needed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Piazzale Gambuli, 06100 Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Spinozzi
authors.affiliation: Section of Occupational Medicine, Respiratory Diseases and Toxicology, University of Perugia, Piazzale Gambuli, 06100 Perugia, Italy nicola.murgia@unipg.it.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Murgia
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Environmental Epidemiology Unit, CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Via Trieste 41, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baldacci
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Environmental Epidemiology Unit, CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Via Trieste 41, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maio
authors.affiliation: Technosciences Unit, CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Via Trieste 41, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Pala
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Piazzale Gambuli, 06100 Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casciari
authors.affiliation: Section of Occupational Medicine, Respiratory Diseases and Toxicology, University of Perugia, Piazzale Gambuli, 06100 Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: dell'Omo
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Environmental Epidemiology Unit, CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Via Trieste 41, 56126 Pisa, Italy CNR Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology "A. Monroy", Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Viegi
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology
keywords: allergic rhinitis; asthma; conjunctivitis; general practitioners; medicines; perennial; quality of life; seasonal; treatment; undertreatment