Prevalence of food allergy among children in Al-Ain city, United Arab Emirates.

BACKGROUND

Food allergy (FA) in children is an important health problem. However, the prevalence of FA in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has not yet been determined. This cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the prevalence of FA among school children aged 6-9 years in Al-Ain city, UAE.

METHODS

We used multistage random sampling in order to get a sample of 397 school children whose parents completed a self-administered questionnaire designed to assess the presence or absence of physician diagnosis of FA and other allergic diseases.

RESULTS

The study showed that the prevalence of physician-diagnosed FA in children was 8% (95% CI 5.4-10.8%). Eggs, fruits and fish were the main allergies reported. FA was independently related to a family history of FA, to a small sibship size and to a personal history of other atopic diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of FA in Al-Ain city was 8%. A history of FA in first-degree family members and a small sibship size were associated with a higher risk of FA in children. FA was related to a personal history of other atopic diseases.