John Lisha Jenny, Ahmed Sharfaa, Anjum Fiza, Kebab Mohieddin, Mohammed Naik, Darwich Haitham, Ibraheem Nusaibah, Arifulla Mohamed, Sreedharan Jayadevan
Department of Pharmacology, Gulf Medical University, Ajman 4184, UAE.
College of Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman 4184, UAE.
ISRN Allergy. 2014 Feb 19;2014:502052. doi: 10.1155/2014/502052. eCollection 2014.
Aim. Urbanization and globalization in the Middle East have resulted in drastic environmental changes and increased allergens present in the environment. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of allergies among undergraduate students from a university. Material and Methods. This cross-sectional survey was carried out among undergraduate students of a University at Ajman, UAE. A self-administered questionnaire was used as research instrument for data collection. The demographic data and the allergy characteristics were collected and analyzed using SPSS version 19. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed. Results. A total of 255 students (33.3% males; 66.7% females) were included. Commonest allergies among the students were allergic conjunctivitis (104 (40.8%)), allergic dermatitis (89 (34.9%)), and eczema (38 (14.9%)). Family history of allergies was strongly associated with occurrence of allergic conjunctivitis and allergic dermatitis. In about 58 (22%) of the students, dust was the most common triggering factor for allergies. Allergies associated with pollen, food, and drugs were less frequent. The distribution of allergies based on gender revealed female preponderance in all types of allergies. Students with allergies reported interference with their daily activities, and academic, social, and extracurricular activities. Conclusions. Allergic conjunctivitis and allergic dermatitis were the frequent allergies reported. Adequate preventive strategies can crumb the prevalence of allergies.
目的。中东地区的城市化和全球化导致了剧烈的环境变化，环境中的过敏原也有所增加。本研究旨在评估某所大学本科学生中的过敏症患病率。
材料与方法。本横断面调查在阿联酋阿治曼一所大学的本科学生中开展。采用自填式问卷作为数据收集的研究工具。使用SPSS 19版收集并分析人口统计学数据和过敏特征。进行描述性和推断性统计分析。
结果。共纳入255名学生（男性占33.3%；女性占66.7%）。学生中最常见的过敏症为过敏性结膜炎（104例（40.8%））、过敏性皮炎（89例（34.9%））和湿疹（38例（14.9%））。过敏家族史与过敏性结膜炎和过敏性皮炎的发生密切相关。约58名（22%）学生中，灰尘是最常见的过敏触发因素。与花粉、食物和药物相关的过敏较少见。基于性别的过敏分布显示，所有类型的过敏中女性占多数。有过敏症的学生报告其日常活动以及学业、社交和课外活动受到了影响。
结论。过敏性结膜炎和过敏性皮炎是报告中常见的过敏症。适当的预防策略可以降低过敏症的患病率。
