Is orienteering associated with allergic rhinitis in adolescents?

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Allergology
• Environmental Health

Background:

• Allergic rhinitis (AR) negatively impacts athletic performance.
• Outdoor sports, such as orienteering, involve greater environmental allergen exposure than indoor sports.
• Investigating AR prevalence in outdoor versus indoor adolescent athletes is crucial for understanding sport-specific health risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the frequency of allergic rhinitis (AR) in adolescent orienteers versus indoor athletes.
• To identify potential differences in allergic parameters between these two athletic groups.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 60 adolescent athletes (33 orienteers, 27 basketball players).
• AR diagnosis via ISAAC questionnaire, physical examination, and nasal endoscopy.
• Assessment of epidermal prick test, pulmonary function, total IgE, and serum eosinophil levels.

Main Results:

• AR was diagnosed in 35% of athletes (42.4% of orienteers, 25.9% of basketball players).
• Orienteers showed higher, though not statistically significant, percentages of endoscopic findings and skin test positivity.
• Rhinitic orienteers had significantly higher training age, total IgE, and skin test positivity compared to non-rhinitic orienteers.

Conclusions:

• Adolescent orienteers did not exhibit higher susceptibility to AR than indoor athletes, despite some elevated allergic markers.
• Increased frequency of AR in orienteers appears associated with longer training duration.
• This study is the first to report on AR in adolescent orienteers, highlighting the need for future research comparing allergic conditions across outdoor and indoor sports.