[Food hypersensitivity in the population of school children in Opole]

The prevalence of food allergy among children is high and constantly increasing, especially in urban environments. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of food hypersensitivity among children living in Opole.

The study included 450 children (224 girls and 216 boys), aged 7-10 years from elementary schools in Opole. A survey was conducted on the basis of the EuroPrevall international programme questionnaire and a self-designed questionnaire for collecting information. Data were analyzed with the Statistica 8 software package. The level of significance for all analyses was p < 0.05.

The questionnaire was completed by the parents of 440 (98%) children. 89% (n = 392) of the parents agreed to being contacted again. Adverse reactions following food consumption were reported in 205 children (46.05%), including 93 children (45.36%) with two to four reactions a month. The most common symptoms were as follows: rash (28.29%), diarrhoea (26.34%). The symptoms occurred after the consumption of cow's milk (35.12%), hen eggs (12.19%), strawberries (8.78%), dairy products (5.36%), nuts (5.36%), chocolate (4.87%), and cocoa (4.87%).

The study revealed a high reporting of food hypersensitivity among children in Opole.