The prevalences of allergic diseases in rural and urban areas are similar

Background: In this study, we aimed to detect the influence of environmental and socioeconomic factors for asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema among children aged 6-18 years.

Method: Two each of schools located in urban and in rural areas were included in the study. Children in these schools were asked to respond to 32 questions in total, including demographic and socioeconomic features and the questions of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire form.

Results: The average age of children included in the study was 11.5 ± 3.3 years, and the ratio of boys (55.4%) to girls (44.6%) was 1.2/1. The prevalence of asthma was found as 11.5%, allergic rhinitis as 22.1%, and eczema as 10.7%. Asthma (21.9%), allergic rhinitis (44.3%) and eczema (19.8%) were more frequent in cases which had family history of atopy (p < 0.001). Although there were differences between regions regarding income and educational levels, number of persons in the household, duration of breast feeding, and dietary habits, these variants were found inconclusive for the development of asthma. The risk of progression to asthma and atopic diseases decreased as age increased and the educational level of the father increased.

Conclusion: According to our results, atopic diseases can be considered frequent in Konya, history of atopy in the family is the most predictive factor and the effects of rural or urban factors are not obvious in atopic disease development.