Prevalence and factors associated to peanut allergy in Mexican school children

In our country, the prevalence and the factors associated to peanut allergy are unknown, a health problem that has been emerging worldwide.

To establish the prevalence and the factors that are associated to peanut allergy amongst school children.

This is a population-based cross-sectional study. We included 756 children aged 6-7 years. The children's parents were questioned about their peanut intake habits. A structured questionnaire was applied, it included questions regarding peanut intake; family and personal history of asthma; rhinitis; and atopic dermatitis. Allergic reactions to peanuts were registered as: probable, convincing and systematic. The statistical analyses included logistical regression models to look for associated factors.

Males were 356/756 (47.1%). Peanut allergy prevalence: probable reaction: 14/756 (1.8%), convincing reaction: 8/756 (1.1%) and systemic reaction: 3/756 (0.4%). Through multivariate analysis, the presence of symptoms of allergic rhinitis (OR=4.2 95% CI 1.3-13.2) and atopic dermatitis (OR=5.2; 95% CI 1.4-19.5) during the previous year, showed significant association to probable peanut reaction. The former year, the presence of atopic dermatitis was the only variable that was substantially associated to a convincing reaction (OR=7.5; 95% CI 1.4-38.4) and to a systematic reaction (OR=45.1; 95% CI 4.0-510.0), respectively.

The reported prevalence of peanut allergy was consistent with that found in previous studies; symptoms of allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis were identified as associated factors to peanut allergy.