Alnahas Sawsan, Abouammoh Noura, Althagafi Wael, Abd-Ellatif Eman Elsayed
Field Epidemiology Training Program, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Public Health Protection, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
World Allergy Organ J. 2023 Oct 10;16(10):100824. doi: 10.1016/j.waojou.2023.100824. eCollection 2023 Oct.
Allergic rhinitis is a significant public health concern worldwide, affecting both developed and developing countries, with prevalence rates ranging between 10% and 30% in adults and over 40% in children. However, there are limited studies on allergic rhinitis prevalence in Saudi Arabia.
To explore allergic rhinitis among schoolchildren in Saudi Arabia in terms of prevalence, severity, and risk factors.
This study was conducted between March and April 2019, covering 20 regions. The study employed a multistage, stratified cluster sampling approach and selected 137 primary and 140 intermediate schools. The research utilized the methodology and questionnaires recommended by the Global Asthma Network (GAN). Data analysis was carried out using IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 23).
The completed questionnaires in the analysis comprised 3614 children aged 6-7 years old and 4068 adolescents aged 13-14 years old. The study found that 5.6% of children and 14.0% of adolescents reported current rhinoconjunctivitis, with 0.5% of children and 1.3% of adolescents experiencing severe symptoms. Several risk factors were significantly associated with rhinoconjunctivitis. In children 6-7 years old, eating cooked vegetables was inversely associated with rhinoconjunctivitis, while prematurity, wheezing in infancy, and a history of pneumonia were positively associated with the condition. In adolescents, vigorous physical activity, current exposure to cats, and frequent use of paracetamol were found to be the main risk factors associated with rhinoconjunctivitis, while high consumption of pulses and eggs was found to have a protective effect.
In Saudi Arabia, the prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis in children is lower than average globally, but among adolescents, it is within the global average range. However, the prevalence of severe rhinoconjunctivitis among adolescents is twice the global average. Further research is required to examine regional differences, track trends over time, and explore risk factors that contribute to allergic rhinitis.
变应性鼻炎是全球重大的公共卫生问题，影响发达国家和发展中国家，成人患病率在10%至30%之间，儿童患病率超过40%。然而，沙特阿拉伯关于变应性鼻炎患病率的研究有限。
探讨沙特阿拉伯学童变应性鼻炎的患病率、严重程度及危险因素。
本研究于2019年3月至4月进行，覆盖20个地区。采用多阶段分层整群抽样方法，选取137所小学和140所初中。研究采用全球哮喘网络（GAN）推荐的方法和问卷。使用IBM SPSS Statistics（版本23）进行数据分析。
分析中完成的问卷包括3614名6至7岁儿童和4068名13至14岁青少年。研究发现，5.6%的儿童和14.0%的青少年报告目前患有鼻结膜炎，0.5%的儿童和1.3%的青少年有严重症状。几个危险因素与鼻结膜炎显著相关。在6至7岁儿童中，食用熟蔬菜与鼻结膜炎呈负相关，而早产、婴儿期喘息和肺炎病史与该病呈正相关。在青少年中，剧烈体育活动、目前接触猫以及频繁使用对乙酰氨基酚被发现是与鼻结膜炎相关的主要危险因素，而大量食用豆类和蛋类具有保护作用。
在沙特阿拉伯，儿童鼻结膜炎患病率低于全球平均水平，但青少年患病率在全球平均范围内。然而，青少年中严重鼻结膜炎的患病率是全球平均水平的两倍。需要进一步研究以检查地区差异、跟踪随时间的趋势并探索导致变应性鼻炎的危险因素。
