Specificity and sensitivity of questionnaires in the diagnosis of allergic diseases

Due to their widespread character, allergic diseases are a significant challenge in the field of public health and clinical practice. The available clinimetric tools, including standardized and validated questionnaires, play an important role in determining the incidence of a particular allergic disease in the targeted population.

We attempted to evaluate the specificity and sensitivity of modified and standardized questions from the ISSAC and ECRHS questionnaires in the diagnosis of allergic diseases.

We examined a total number of 1,000 respondents classified into the following age groups: 6-10, 11-15, and 16-19 years. Modified ISSAC and ECRHS questionnaires were implemented to verify the effectiveness of diagnosing allergic diseases.

Among individuals aged from 6 to 10 years, the specificity and sensitivity of diagnosing allergic rhinitis were 0.84 and 0.50; for asthma 0.64 and 0.85, for atopic dermatitis 0.90 and 0.42, and for food allergy 0.42 and 0.85, respectively. Respondents aged 11-15 years presented the following values of specificity and sensitivity: 0.83 and 0.46 for allergic rhinitis, 0.45 and 0.87 for asthma, 0.89 and 0.43 for atopic dermatitis, and 0.61 and 0.80 for food allergies, respectively. Finally, among patients from 16 to 19 years of age, the specificity and sensitivity of validated questionnaires as assessment tools in diagnosing allergic rhinitis were 0.91 and 0.39, for asthma 0.35 and 0.89, for atopic dermatitis 1.0 and 0.45, and for food allergy 0.67 and 0.85, respectively.

The modified and standardized questions included in the ISSAC and ECRHS questionnaires are a valuable tool for determining the scale of allergic diseases. However, as these clinical tools are characterized by varying specificity and sensitivity, it is recommended that such tests be verified by clinical examination.