Original Communication
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005) 59, 399–403. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602087 Published online 15 December 2004
Prevalence of self-reported food allergy and IgE antibodies to food allergens in Swedish and Estonian schoolchildren
Guarantor: A Sandin.
Contributors: AS collected data, analysed data, wrote the manuscript and involved in the final approval of the manuscript. TA coinvestigator, collected data and involved in the final approval of the manuscript. BB involved in study design and in the final approval of the manuscript. LN coinvestigator, involved in the final approval of the manuscript. M-AR coinvestigator, involved in the final approval of the manuscript. M van H-H data analyses and involved in the final approval of the manuscript. LB coinvestigator, involved in study design, data analysis and in the final approval of the manuscript.
The work was carried out at the Division of Paediatrics, Linköping University, the Department of Paediatrics, Östersund Hospital, and Karolinska Institutet.
A Sandin1, T Annus2, B Björkstén3, L Nilsson4, M -A Riikjärv5, M van Hage-Hamsten6 and L Bråbäck7
- 1Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Paediatrics, Umeå University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden
- 2Tartu University Children's Hospital, Tartu, Estonia
- 3Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- 4Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Division of Paediatrics, Linköping University, Sweden
- 5Tallinn Children's Hospital, Tallinn, Estonia
- 6Department of Medicine, Clinical Immunology and Allergy Unit, Karolinska Institute and Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- 7Department of Public Health and Research, Sundsvall Hospital, Sweden
Correspondence: A Sandin, Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Paediatrics, Umeå University Hospital, SE-901 85 Umeå, Sweden. E-mail: annasandin@telia.com
Received 6 February 2004; Revised 23 June 2004; Accepted 27 September 2004; Published online 15 December 2004.
Abstract
Objective:
To compare the prevalence of self-reported food allergy and IgE antibodies to food allergens in wheezing and non-wheezing Estonian and Swedish schoolchildren, in the light of the disparities in the standard of living, food consumption and prevalence of respiratory allergies that still exist between Estonia and the Scandinavian countries.
Design and setting:
As a part of the ISAAC Phase II study, children from a random sample of schools in Tallinn in Estonia and Linköping and Östersund in Sweden participated in skin prick tests to inhalant allergens and the parents replied to questionnaires. IgE antibodies against a panel of food allergens (egg white, milk, soy bean, fish, wheat and peanut) were taken from children with questionnaire-reported wheezing and a random sample of nonwheezing children.
Subjects:
Children aged 10–11 y.
Results:
The prevalence of self-reported food allergy was similar in Estonia and Sweden and about twice as high in wheezing children than in nonwheezing children. In Estonia, however, 3% of the children with perceived food allergy reported reactions from at least four different foods, as compared to 31% in Sweden. The prevalence of sensitisation to food allergens was similar in wheezing and nonwheezing children in Estonia (8%) while, in Swedish children, IgE antibodies to food allergens were more likely among wheezing children (Linköping 38 vs 11%, crude OR 5.1, 95% CI 2.2–11.6, and Östersund 24 vs 7%, crude OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.9–8.5).
Conclusion:
Our study suggests that IgE-mediated food reactions were less likely in Estonian schoolchildren. Moreover, the perception of food allergy and thereby the meaning of self-reported food allergy appears to be different in the two countries.
Sponsorship:
This study was supported by a grant from the Swedish Foundation for Health Care Sciences and Allergy Research.
Keywords:
food allergy, children, IgE antibodies, wheezing
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