Prevalence and risk factors for atopic disease in a population of preschool children in Rome: Challenges to early intervention.
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.
['Indinnimeo|Luciana|L|', 'Porta|Daniela|D|', 'Forastiere|Francesco|F|', 'De Vittori|Valentina|V|', 'De Castro|Giovanna|G|', 'Zicari|Anna Maria|AM|', 'Tancredi|Giancarlo|G|', 'Melengu|Taulant|T|', 'Duse|Marzia|M|']
D000485:Allergens D001249:Asthma D001991:Bronchitis D002648:Child D002675:Child, Preschool D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic D018479:Early Intervention, Educational D005260:Female D006801:Humans D008297:Male D015995:Prevalence D012135:Respiratory Sounds D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic D012307:Risk Factors D012384:Rome D012882:Skin Tests D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
prevalence risk factors preschool children allergic diseases