Article Text
Abstract
Share of food allergies is quite high in the general structure of allergy morbidity (varies between 0.1% and 7%). Allergy diseases comprise global problem of public health care system.
Goal of the work: foal of our work is study of prevalence of food allergies and risk factors in children’s population in selected populations of Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi-Tskaltubo
Materials and methods Studied population includes 2655 children (2010–2013) from 1-month to 14-year age. 1359 of them were girls and 1296 – boys (I group: children from 1 month to 6 years and II group – from 6 years to 14 years). At the first stage of epidemiological study, screening of 2665 children was conducted by means of the initial questionnaire filled in directly at a time of interviewing of the parents. Identification of the factors of causal significance was provided based on anamnesis data, comparison of general serum and specific IgE and in vivo allergologic diagnostics (prick-tests). Obtained data were statistically processes by means of SPSS/V12.5 software (Statistical Package for Social Sciences).
Results Epidemiological studies showed that prevalence of food allergies in children’s population (7.5% - Tbilisi; 6.2% - Kutaisi-Tskaltubo; 4.3% - Adjara) was 18.04%. Average total IgE, im both cases, was 3–5 times higher than normal value and no statistically reliable difference between the groups was found (p > 0.05). Only 3.9 of children with food allergies had IgE within normal limits. High frequency of late diagnostics was established (p < 0.001).
Conclusion Thus, according to the obtained data, share of the manageable risk factors is high and this could provide basis for development of targeted and effective prevention measures for the children’s population. Food allergy is complex and versatile process requiring further study.