Young Children Allergic Rhinitis Questionnaire is a novel tool for allergy screening in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Allergology
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Limited validated screening tools exist for allergic rhinitis (AR) in children under three years old.
• Accurate diagnosis of AR in very young children presents clinical challenges.
• Development of reliable screening methods is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel self-reported questionnaire for allergic rhinitis screening in children aged three years and younger.
• To assess the accuracy and reliability of the developed questionnaire in a clinical setting.
• To provide a practical tool for the early detection of allergic rhinitis in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

• Expert screening of questionnaire items followed by administration of the Young Children Allergic Rhinitis Questionnaire (YCAR-Q) to a birth cohort.
• Electronic distribution of the YCAR-Q via online communities and physician examinations for diagnosis.
• Evaluation of internal consistency, content validity, criterion-related validity, and diagnostic accuracy using established statistical methods.

Main Results:

• A six-item YCAR-Q was distributed to 7423 parents, with 3037 valid responses.
• Physician examinations confirmed allergic rhinitis in 82 out of 1521 children.
• The YCAR-Q demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.777) and diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.759) with a cutoff score of 3 (sensitivity 68.29%, specificity 76.58%).

Conclusions:

• The YCAR-Q is a reliable and accurate tool for detecting allergic rhinitis in children three years and younger.
• This brief questionnaire can be effectively utilized in clinical practice for screening purposes.
• The YCAR-Q facilitates early identification and management of allergic rhinitis in a vulnerable pediatric age group.