Figures
- Fig. 1.—
Temporal changes of prevalence of atopic diseases and allergic sensitization in children aged 5–14 yrs from three cross-sectional surveys in 1992–1993 (○, reference), 1995–1996 (▵) and 1998–1999 (□) adjusted for area, age and sex. Data are presented as odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals. Ig: immunoglobulin.
- Fig. 2.—
Temporal changes of strong allergic sensitization to mite, cat, birch and grass pollen in children aged 5–14 yrs from three cross-sectional surveys in 1992–1993 (○, reference), 1995–1996 (▵) and 1998–1999 (□) adjusted for area, age and sex. Data are presented as odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals. Ig: immunoglobulin.
Tables
- Table 1—
Response, mobility, and characteristics of the study population of Surveys 1 (1992–93), 2 (1995–96) and 3 (1998–99)
Survey 1 Survey 2 Survey 3 Responders (questionnaire) Total 2470/2773 (89.1) 2814/3765 (74.7) 2348/3092 (75.9) Zerbst 857/971 (88.3) 748/1090 (68.6) 695/989 (70.3) Bitterfeld 799/918 (87.0) 1255/1561 (80.4) 961/1203 (79.9) Hettstedt 814/884 (92.1) 811/1114 (72.8) 692/900 (76.9) Considered in analyses Total 2335/2773 (84.2) 2517/3765 (66.9) 2107/3092 (68.1) Zerbst 818/971 (84.2) 674/1090 (61.8) 631/989 (63.8) Bitterfeld 737/918 (80.3) 1108/1561 (71.0) 849/1203 (70.6) Hettstedt 780/884 (88.2) 735/1114 (66.0) 627/900 (69.7) Demographic characteristics Age 5–7 yrs 726/2335 (31.1) 642/2517 (25.5) 325/2107 (15.4) 8–10 yrs 750/2335 (32.1) 855/2517 (34.0) 757/2107 (35.9) 11–14 yrs 859/2335 (36.8) 1020/2517 (40.5) 1025/2107 (48.6) Males 1184/2335 (50.7) 1354/2517 (53.8) 1144/2107 (54.3) Higher parental education# 958/2272 (42.2) 1010/2398 (42.1) 812/2023 (40.1) Other characteristics (predictors for adjustment) Low birth weight¶ 146/2240 (6.5) 141/2373 (5.9) 125/1881 (6.6) No breastfeeding+ 471/2321 (20.3) 460/2498 (18.4) 399/2004 (19.9) Parental atopy 620/2335 (26.6) 770/2517 (30.6) 647/2031 (31.9) House made of concrete 901/2245 (40.1) 950/2447 (38.8) 629/1929 (32.6) Child shares bedroom 1121/2297 (48.8) 1028/2511 (40.9) 665/2021 (32.9) Dampness or visible moulds 438/2312 (18.9) 568/2506 (22.7) 466/1998 (23.3) Heating with single oven 1150/2328 (49.4) 931/2421 (38.5) 751/1994 (37.7) Carpet in child's room 2173/2329 (93.3) 2026/2479 (81.7) 1845/2008 (91.9) ETS exposure§ 1076/2305 (46.7) 1074/2489 (43.1) 915/2084 (43.9) Contact to cats 750/2300 (32.6) 815/2510 (32.5) 722/2000 (36.1) Child attended day-care centreƒ 2062/2314 (89.1) 2218/2499 (88.8) 1764/2061 (85.6) -
Data are presented as respondents/total with % in parentheses
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ETS: environmental tobacco smoke
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#: education of father or mother ≥12 yr
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¶: ≤2700 g
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+: <4 weeks
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§: current or prior
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ƒ: before 1 yr of age
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- Table 2—
Crude prevalence of atopic diagnoses and symptoms and radioallergosorbent test (RAST)-sensitization in Eastern German children aged 5–14 yrs in Surveys 1 (1992–93), 2 (1995–96) and 3 (1998–99)
Survey 1 Survey 2 Survey 3 Physician's diagnoses# Hay fever 102/2327 (4.4) 129/2517 (5.1) 129/2103 (6.1) Asthma 61/2319 (2.6) 88/2517 (3.5) 98/2062 (4.8) Eczema 239/2327 (10.3) 259/2517 (10.3) 241/2103 (11.5) Any allergy against: 316/2312 (13.7) 490/2502 (19.6) 505/2076 (24.3) Food 39/2305 (1.7) 60/2498 (2.4) 72/2062 (3.5) Drug 53/2305 (2.3) 39/2498 (1.6) 47/2062 (2.3) Pollen 106/2305 (4.6) 242/2498 (9.7) 230/2062 (11.2) Animal dander 48/2305 (2.1) 152/2498 (6.1) 152/2062 (7.4) Fungi 10/2305 (0.4) 66/2498 (2.6) 68/2062 (3.3) Allergy symptoms¶ Conjunctivitis# 153/2302 (6.7) 189/2513 (7.5) 125/2076 (6.0) Sneezing# 193/2302 (8.4) 251/2513 (10.0) 176/2076 (8.5) Runny nose# 201/2302 (8.7) 234/2513 (9.3) 165/2076 (8.0) Itchy rash+ 342/2312 (14.8) 449/2509 (17.9) 395/2055 (19.2) RAST class >0 (0.35 kU·L−1) Dust mite 303/2016 (15.0) 327/2106 (15.5) 320/1730 (18.5) Cat 141/1977 (7.1) 152/2106 (7.2) 149/1729 (8.6) Cladosporium 82/1721 (4.8) 87/2104 (4.1) 71/1728 (4.1) Birch pollen 186/1702 (10.9) 244/2098 (11.6) 204/1728 (11.8) Grass pollen 470/1979 (23.7) 393/2104 (18.7) 341/1729 (19.7) RAST class >3 (17.5 kU·L−1) Dust mite 44/2016 (2.2) 75/2106 (3.6) 86/1730 (5.0) Cat 17/1977 (0.9) 23/2106 (1.1) 16/1729 (0.9) Cladosporium 12/1721 (0.7) 14/2104 (0.7) 4/1728 (0.2) Birch pollen 21/1702 (1.2) 50/2098 (2.4) 48/1728 (2.8) Grass pollen 116/1979 (5.9) 110/2104 (5.2) 95/1729 (5.5) -
Data are presented as respondes/total with % in parentheses
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#: last year
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¶: as reported by parents
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+: life time
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- Table 3—
Adjusted prevalence of asthma, hay fever, atopic eczema and allergic sensitization by birth cohort and survey
Year 1981 1984 1987 1990 1993 Hay fever Age 6 yrs 2.1# 2.3¶ 2.3+ 9 yrs 4.1# 4.0¶ 5.0+ 12 yrs 5.4# 5.9¶ 6.1+ Asthma Age 6 yrs 2.1# 2.7¶ 3.9+ 9 yrs 2.1# 2.2¶ 4.6+ 12 yrs 2.2# 3.0¶ 3.6+ Eczema Age 6 yrs 8.6# 11.0¶ 13.0+ 9 yrs 8.6# 9.9¶ 11.8+ 12 yrs 9.6# 9.1¶ 10.2+ Strong allergic sensitization any IgE >17.5 kU·L−1 Age Age of 6 yrs 3.9# 7.4¶ 7.1+ Age of 9 yrs 8.1# 8.7¶ 11.9+ Age of 12 yrs 10.2# 11.6¶ 10.3+ -
Data are presented as %
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#: first survey in 1992–1993
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¶: second survey in 1995–1996
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+: third survey in 1998–1999
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- Table 4—
Comparison of trends of prevalence of allergic diseases in Eastern German children during the 1990s
Bitterfeld Study (the current study) 1992, 1995, 1998 Sachsen-Anhalt Sachsen-Study# 1991–2000 Leipzig¶ 1992, 1995 Age yrs 5–14 5–7 9–11 Subject n 7,632 ∼22,000 4,520 Hayfever+ (↑) ↑ ↑ Asthma+ ↑ ↑ = Eczema+ ↑ ↑ (↑) Sensitization SPT NE ↑(HDM) ↑(any SPT) RAST ↓(any RAST >0.35 kU·L−1) ↑(birch) (RAST >0.7 kU·L−1) ↑(RAST ≥17.5 kU·L−1) ↑(HDM, birch) RAST ≥17.5 kU·L−1) ↑(HDM) (RAST >0.7 kU·L−1) BHR§ ↑ = -
SPT: skin-prick test
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RAST: radioallergosorbent test
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BHR: bronchial hyperresponsiveness
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HDM: house dust mite
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NE: not examined
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↑: significant increase of prevalence
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=: no significant change in prevalence
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(↑): marginally significant increase in prevalence
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↓ significant decrease of prevalence
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¶: 19
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+: lifetime prevalence of doctors diagnoses
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§: decrease of forced expiratory volume in one second ≥9% from baseline after cold air challenge
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