Epidemiology of Food Allergies in Children with Asthma in Gorgan, Northern Iran: a Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study

Food allergy is a risk factor for asthma. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of food allergy in children with asthma.

This cross-sectional study included 200 children with asthma selected through available sampling; and was conducted in Taleghani Children’s Referral Hospital, Gorgan, Northern Iran, from 2014 to 2016. Greer® (USA) Skin Prick test (SPT) was used to recognize food allergens in all participating children. A questionnaire recorded children’s demographics. Statistical analysis was based on t-tests and chi-square using SPSS 16.

The children's mean age was 10.29 ± 4.06 years. One hundred three children (51.5%) were females. The SPT of garlic, banana, kiwifruit, soybean, tomato, peanut, wheat, and walnut was significantly different between age groups (p<0.05). No statistically significant differences in food allergens were found between different genders, different age groups, and between the two groups of breastfeeding only and breastfeeding plus complimentary food. Allergy to curry powder, peanut, garlic, egg, and pepper was detected to be significantly higher than to other food allergens, (p<0.05). Atopia was detected in approximately all participants (99.5%).

Atopia seems to be an associated condition in asthmatic children. Allergy to curry powder, peanut, garlic, egg, and pepper, was significantly higher than other food allergies in children with asthma in Gorgan, Northern Iran.