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Inter-Relationship between Rhinitis and Conjunctivitis in Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis and Associated Risk Factors in Rural UK Children.

Perkin, MR; Bader, T; Rudnicka, AR; Strachan, DP; Owen, CG (2015) Inter-Relationship between Rhinitis and Conjunctivitis in Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis and Associated Risk Factors in Rural UK Children. PLoS One, 10 (11). e0143651. ISSN 1932-6203 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0143651
SGUL Authors: Rudnicka, Alicja Regina Strachan, David Peter Owen, Christopher Grant Perkin, Michael Richard

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Allergic conjunctivitis (AC) is a common condition, especially in childhood. The extent to which it occurs concurrently with or independently from allergic rhinitis (AR) has not been well described. AIM: To examine the inter-relationship between rhinitis and conjunctivitis and the epidemiological risk factors for these conditions in a rural UK population. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of rural school children (aged 5-11 years). Parental questionnaires were used to diagnose allergic outcomes (including conjunctivitis, rhinitis and rhinoconjunctivitis), and to collect data on atopic history, demographic and environmental exposures. Odds ratios of allergic outcome by exposure were examined adjusted for age, sex, breastfeeding, family history of allergy, number of older and younger siblings. RESULTS: Prevalence of conjunctivitis was 17.5%, rhinitis 15.1% and rhinoconjunctivitis 13.0%. Seasonality of symptoms varied by condition: 64.7% of those with conjunctivitis had seasonal symptoms (April-Sept only), 46.7% of those with rhinitis and 92.2% of those with rhinoconjunctivitis. Living on a farm consistently reduced the risk of conjunctivitis (odds ratio 0.47, 95%CI 0.29-0.79, p = 0.004), rhinitis (OR 0.57, 95%CI 0.33-1.01, p = 0.05) and rhinoconjunctivitis (OR 0.57, 95%CI 0.32-1.03, p = 0.06). Exposure to farm animals (particularly in early life), current consumption of unpasteurised milk and playing in a barn or stable significantly reduced the risk of all three conditions. CONCLUSION: More children had parent-reported conjunctivitis than rhinitis. The majority of children with either condition also reported symptoms with the other condition. Farmers' children have less eye and/or nasal symptoms. A number of farming variables linked with the farm microbial environment are likely to be mediating the protective effect.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: © 2015 Perkin et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Keywords: Conjunctivitis, Conjunctivitis, Allergic, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Odds Ratio, Prevalence, Rhinitis, Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal, Risk Factors, United Kingdom, Humans, Rhinitis, Conjunctivitis, Conjunctivitis, Allergic, Prevalence, Odds Ratio, Risk Factors, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal, Male, United Kingdom, General Science & Technology, MD Multidisciplinary
SGUL Research Institute / Research Centre: Academic Structure > Population Health Research Institute (INPH)
Journal or Publication Title: PLoS One
ISSN: 1932-6203
Language: eng
Dates:
DateEvent
24 November 2015Published
6 November 2015Accepted
Publisher License: Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Projects:
Project IDFunderFunder ID
056906/Z/99/ZWellcome Trusthttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100004440
PubMed ID: 26600465
Web of Science ID: WOS:000365862600100
Go to PubMed abstract
URI: https://openaccess.sgul.ac.uk/id/eprint/112791
Publisher's version: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0143651

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