Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes
Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 1/2004

Open Access 01-12-2004 | Research

Health-related quality of life among adolescents with allergy-like conditions – with emphasis on food hypersensitivity

Authors: Birgitta Marklund, Staffan Ahlstedt, Gun Nordström

Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes | Issue 1/2004

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

It is known that there is an increase in the prevalence of allergy and that allergic diseases have a negative impact on individuals' health-related quality of life (HRQL). However, research in this field is mainly focused on individuals with verified allergy, i.e. leaving out those with self-reported allergy-like conditions but with no doctor-diagnosis. Furthermore, studies on food hypersensitivity and quality of life are scarce. In order to receive information about the extent to which adolescent females and males experience allergy-like conditions and the impact of these conditions on their everyday life, the present study aimed to investigate the magnitude of self-reported allergy-like conditions in adolescence and to evaluate their HRQL. Special focus was put on food hypersensitivity as a specific allergy-like condition and on gender differences.

Methods

In connection with lessons completed at the children's school, a study-specific questionnaire and the generic instrument SF-36 were distributed to 1488 adolescents, 13–21 years old (response rate 97%).

Results

Sixty-four per cent of the respondents reported some kind of allergy-like condition: 46% reported hypersensitivity to defined substances and 51% reported allergic diseases (i.e. asthma/wheezing, eczema/rash, rhino-conjunctivitis). A total of 19% reported food hypersensitivity. Females more often reported allergy-like conditions compared with males (p < 0.001). The adolescents with allergy-like conditions reported significantly lower HRQL (p < 0.001) in seven of the eight SF-36 health scales compared with adolescents without such conditions, regardless of whether the condition had been doctor-diagnosed or not. Most adolescents suffered from complex allergy-like conditions.

Conclusions

The results indicate a need to consider the psychosocial impact of allergy-like conditions during school age. Further research is needed to elucidate the gender differences in this area. A team approach addressing better understanding of how allergy-like conditions impair the HRQL may improve the management of the adolescent's health problems, both in health-care services and in schools.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Downs SH, Marks GB, Sporik R, Belosouva EG, Car NG, Peat JK: Continued increase in the prevalence of asthma and atopy. Arch Dis Child 2001, 84: 20–23. 10.1136/adc.84.1.20PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef
2.
Upton MN, McConnachie A, McSharry C, Hart CL, Smith GD, Gillis CR, Watt GCM: Intergenerational 20 year trends in the prevalence of asthma and hay fever in adults: the Midspan family study surveys of parents and offspring. BMJ 2000, 321: 88–92. 10.1136/bmj.321.7253.88PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef
3.
Asher MI, Weiland SK: The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Clin Exp Allergy 1998, 28: 52–66. 10.1046/j.1365-2222.1998.028s5052.xPubMedCrossRef
4.
Björkstén B, Dumitrascu D, Foucard T, Khetsuriani N, Khaitov R, Leja M, Lis G, Pekkanen J, Priftanji A, Riikjärv MA: Prevalence of childhood asthma, rhinitis and eczema in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Eur Respir J 1998, 12: 432–437. 10.1183/09031936.98.12020432PubMedCrossRef
5.
Eggesboe M, Halvorsen R, Tambs K, Botten G: Prevalence of parentally perceived adverse reactions to food in young children. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 1999, 10: 122–132. 10.1034/j.1399-3038.1999.00022.xCrossRef
6.
Woods RK, Stoney RM, Raven J, Walters EH, Abramson M, Thien FCK: Reported adverse food reactions overestimate true food allergy in the community. Eur J Clin Nutr 2002, 56: 31–36. 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601306PubMedCrossRef
7.
Kristjansson I, Ardal B, Jonsson JS, Sigurdsson JA, Foldevi M, Björkstén B: Adverse reactions to food and food allergy in young children in Iceland and Sweden. Scand J Prim Health Care 1997, 17: 30–34. 10.1080/028134399750002863
8.
Woods RK, Abramson M, Bailey M, Walters EH: International prevalences of reported food allergies and intolerances. Comparisons arising from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) 1991–1994. Eur J Clin Nutr 2001, 55: 298–304. 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601159PubMedCrossRef
9.
Woods RK, Thien F, Raven J, Walters EH, Abramson M: Prevalence of food allergies in young adults and their relationship to asthma, nasal allergies, and eczema. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2002, 88: 183–189.PubMedCrossRef
10.
Hazell M, Frank T, Frank P: Health related quality of life in individuals with asthma related symptoms. Respir Med 2003, 97: 1211–1218. 10.1016/S0954-6111(03)00249-XPubMedCrossRef
11.
Matheson M, Raven J, Woods RK, Thien F, Walters EH, Abramson M: Wheeze not current asthma affects quality of life in young adults with asthma. Thorax 2002, 57: 165–167. 10.1136/thorax.57.2.165PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef
12.
Annett RD, Bender BG, Lapidus J, DuHamel TR, Lincoln A: Predicting Children's quality of life in an asthma clinical trial: What do children's reports tell us? J Pediatr 2001, 139: 854–863. 10.1067/mpd.2001.119444PubMedCrossRef
13.
Kiebert G, Sorensen SV, Revicki D, Fagan SC, Doyle JJ, Cohen J, Fivenson D: Atopic dermatitis is associated with decrement in health-related quality of life. Int J Dermatol 2002, 41: 151–158. 10.1046/j.1365-4362.2002.01436.xPubMedCrossRef
14.
Thomson KF, Wilkinson SM, Sommer S, Pollock B: Eczema: quality of life by body site and the effect of patch testing. Br J Dermatol 2002, 146: 627–630. 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2002.04692.xPubMedCrossRef
15.
Lundberg L, Johannesson M, Silverdahl M, Hermansson C, Lindberg M: Quality of life, health-state utilities and willingness to pay in patients with psoriasis and atopic eczema. Br J Dermatol 1999, 141: 1067–1075. 10.1046/j.1365-2133.1999.03207.xPubMedCrossRef
16.
Derebery MJ, Berliner KI: Allergy and health-related quality of life. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2000, 123: 393–399. 10.1067/mhn.2000.109481PubMedCrossRef
17.
Fineman SM: The burden of allergic rhinitis: beyond dollars and cents. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2002, 88: 2–7.PubMedCrossRef
18.
Meltzer EO: Quality of life in adults and children with allergic rhinitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2001, 108: S45–53. 10.1067/mai.2001.115566PubMedCrossRef
19.
Sicherer SH, Noone SA, Munoz-Furlong A: The impact of childhood food allergy on quality of life. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2001, 87: 461–464.PubMedCrossRef
20.
Primeau MN, Kagan R, Joseph L, Lim H, Dufresne C, Duffy C, Prhcal D, Clarke A: The psychological burden of peanut allergy as perceived by adults with peanut allergy and the parents of peanut-allergic children. Clin Exp Allergy 2000, 30: 1135–1143. 10.1046/j.1365-2222.2000.00889.xPubMedCrossRef
21.
Avery NJ, King RM, Knight S, Hourihane JOB: Assessment of quality of life in children with peanut allergy. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2003, 14: 378–382.PubMedCrossRef
22.
Sears MR, Burrows B, Flannery EM, Herbison GP, Holdaway MD: Atopy in childhood. I. Gender and allergen related risks for development of hay fever and asthma. Clin Exp Allergy 1993, 23: 941–948.PubMedCrossRef
23.
Fagan JK, Scheff PA, Hryhorczuk D, Ramakrishnan V, Ross M, Persky V: Prevalence of asthma and other allergic diseases in an adolescent population: association with gender and race. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2001, 86: 177–184.PubMedCrossRef
24.
Venn A, Lewis S, Cooper M, Hill J, Britton J: Questionnaire study of effect of sex and age on the prevalence of wheeze and asthma in adolescence. BMJ 1998, 316: 1945–1946.PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef
25.
Kjellman B, Gustafsson PM: Asthma from childhood to adulthood: asthma severity, allergies, sensitization, living conditions, gender influence and social consequences. Respir Med 2000, 94: 454–465. 10.1053/rmed.1999.0764PubMedCrossRef
26.
Johansson SGO, Hourihane JOB, Bousquet J, Bruijnzeel-Koomen C, Dreborg S, Haahtela T, Kowalski ML, Mygind N, Ring J, Hage-Hamsten P, Wüthrich B: A revised nomenclature for allergy. An EAACI position statement from the EAACI nomenclature task force. Allergy 2001, 56: 813–824. 10.1034/j.1398-9995.2001.t01-1-00001.xPubMedCrossRef
27.
Sullivan M, Karlsson J, Taft C: SF-36 Hälsoenkät. Svensk Manual och Tolkningsguide, 2:a upplagan (Swedish Manual and Interpretation Guide, 2nd Edition). Gothenburg:. , Sahlgrenska University Hospital; 2002.
28.
Stewart AI, Ware JE: Measuring Functioning and Well-Being: the Medical Outcomes Study Approach. London, Duke University Press, Durham; 1992.
29.
Leynaert B, Soussan D: Monitoring the quality-of-life in allergic disorders. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 2003, 3: 177–183. 10.1097/00130832-200306000-00005PubMedCrossRef
30.
The Public Health Report 2001 Stockholm, National Board of Health and Welfare; 2001:46–54.
31.
32.
Ensom MHH: Gender-Based Differences and Menstrual Cycle-Related Changes in Specific Diseases: Implications for Pharmacotherapy. Pharmacotherapy 2000, 20: 523–539. 10.1592/phco.20.6.523.35161PubMedCrossRef
33.
Henriksen AH, Holmen TL, Bjermer L: Gender differences in asthma prevalence may depend on how asthma is defined. Respir Med 2003, 97: 491–497. 10.1053/rmed.2002.1470PubMedCrossRef
34.
Gettman DA, Ranelli PL, Ried LD: Influence of gender on outcomes of medication-history interviewing. Patient Educ Couns 1996, 27: 147–160. 10.1016/0738-3991(95)00797-0PubMedCrossRef
35.
Kuhni CE, Sennhauser FH: The Yentl Syndrome in Childhood Asthma: Risk Factors for Undertreatment in Swiss Children. Pediatr Pulmonol 1995, 19: 156–160.PubMedCrossRef
36.
Wood RA: The Natural History of Food Allergy. Pediatrics 2003, 111: 1631–1637.PubMed
37.
38.
39.
Vieths S, Scheurer S, Ballmer-Weber B: Current Understanding of Cross-Reactivity of Food Allergens and Pollen. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2002, 964: 47–68.PubMedCrossRef
Metadata
Title
Health-related quality of life among adolescents with allergy-like conditions – with emphasis on food hypersensitivity
Authors
Birgitta Marklund
Staffan Ahlstedt
Gun Nordström
Publication date
01-12-2004
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes / Issue 1/2004
Electronic ISSN: 1477-7525
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-2-65

Other articles of this Issue 1/2004

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 1/2004 Go to the issue

Review

An increasing number of qualitative research papers in oncology and palliative care: does it mean a thorough development of the methodology of research?

Research

The prevalence and severity of oral impacts on daily performances in Thai primary school children

Research

The value of the qualitative method for adaptation of a disease-specific quality of life assessment instrument: the case of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life Scale (RAQoL) in Estonia

Research

Women with coronary artery disease report worse health-related quality of life outcomes compared to men

Research

The "Palliative Care Quality of Life Instrument (PQLI)" in terminal cancer patients

Research

Health-related quality of life among older adults with arthritis