The Prevalence of Allergic Rhinitis and Associated Risk Factors Among University Students in Anatolia

Allergic rhinitis is a common disease in Turkey. However, there are not enough studies on its prevalence. Survey-based studies conducted by experienced and qualified researchers to large populations provide information about the prevalence of allergic rhinitis and risk factors associated with it.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of allergic rhinitis and related factors in university students in Anatolia.

An extended and modified form of "The European Community Respiratory Health Survey" was conducted to university students in Turkey. The data were obtained through a face-to-face interview method. R version 4.0.2 was used for statistical analysis. Data were presented as frequency and percentage. Chi-squared test of independence was used to analyze the relationship between allergic rhinitis diagnosis and other variables. Statistically significant variables were further analyzed with multivariate logistic regression test.

Data was collected from a total of 2020 participants, but 1714 participants were eligible for multivariate analysis. The mean age of the participants was 20.71 ± 3.12 years; 42.88 (n= 735) were male, and 57.12% (n= 979) were female. While the rate of those who thought that they had nasal allergies was 23.862% (n = 409), the rate of those diagnosed by a doctor was 15.986% (n = 274). The most common allergic symptom in the participants was sneezing, and the most common triggering factor was house dust.

We found a high prevalence of 15.986% doctor diagnosed allergic rhinitis among university students in Anatolia. Genetic, environmental and economic factors were associated with high prevalence of allergic rhinitis.