Observation of pupil growth and changes in the positive rate of a scratch test in the same groups of subjects in Shiraoicho, Hokkaido

Comparison of the data for 1989, 1992 and 1995

Abstract

Every three years, a scratch test is conducted at an annual collective health check at a school in Shiraoi-cho, Hokkaido, on first and fourth graders in elementary school and on first-year junior high school students. A comparison of the scratch test results for 1989, 1992 and 1995 for the same groups of pupils showed that the positive rate increased with the growth of the pupils. The obserbed increase in the positive rate according to the pupils' growth is speculated to be correlated with the duration of exposure to allergens.