title: Prevalence and risk factors for atopic disease in a population of preschool children in Rome: Challenges to early intervention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Allergic diseases are complex identities determined by an interplay of genetic and environmental factors, resulting in the clinical manifestation of the disease. So far in Italy, updated data about the prevalence and risk factors of respiratory and allergic diseases in preschool children are not available.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children aged 3-5 years, attending four different nursery schools in an urban district of the city of Rome. A standardized questionnaire developed under the SIDRIA-2 protocol was administered to the parents of the children for the assessment of the potential risk factors and the outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 494 children were enrolled in the study; 289 of them (60.3%) performed a skin prick test (SPT). In the 12 months preceding the interviews, 15% of children experienced at least one episode of wheezing, 5.5% of allergic rhinitis, 11% of children had a doctor diagnosis of asthma, 12% of children who underwent the SPT were positive to at least one of the tested allergens, being diagnosed as atopic. The univariate analysis for the health outcomes of the study shows that asthma was positively associated with daycare attendance, mother's history of atopy, siblings' history of atopy, recurrent siblings' bronchitis, and dermatitis. Atopy was positively associated with mother's history of atopy and dermatitis, whereas there is a borderline protective association with recurrent siblings' bronchitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study represents a first comprehensive epidemiological evaluation of prevalence of respiratory and allergic diseases in children aged 3-5 years in the city of Rome and an updating of the evolution of allergic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Indinnimeo
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology of the Regional Health System of Lazio, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Porta
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology of the Regional Health System of Lazio, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Forastiere
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy valentinadevittori@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Vittori
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Castro
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Zicari
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tancredi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Taulant
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Melengu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duse
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000276:immunology; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012384:Rome / Q000453:epidemiology; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens
keywords: allergic diseases; preschool children; prevalence; risk factors