Abstract
Background: There are a limited number of reports on the comparison of the change in the prevalence of child food allergies (FA) and the responsible foods. Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes over a 21-year period in the prevalence of FA and the responsible foods. Methods: We compared and examined the questionnaire results in 1993 (n=9,143) and 2014 (n=6,479) from students in all elementary/junior high schools of Gamagori City Aichi prefecture. Results: The questionnaire results indicated that while a similar number of children had FA in both years (4.9%, p=0.48), the percentages of children receiving elimination diets in school had increased (p<0.001). The most responsible food for FA in our city was fruits in 2014. Although most of the cases exhibited mild symptoms, 1.3% indicated anaphylaxis. The responsible fruits in many cases were melon, watermelon and kiwi, and the prevalence was increased as a grade. Approximately 90% of the fruit allergies children had also complicated with a pollen allergy, and 60% of the children exhibited certain symptoms with multiple kinds of fruits. Conclusions: The prevalence of FA in our city did not change during the previous 21 years, however, the number of children receiving elimination diets in school has increased; in particular, the prevalence of fruit allergies has significantly increased.
