| Abstract: | Background : During past decades, there has been an alarmingly increase in prevalence of childhood rhinitis around the world including Taiwan. However, it remains largely unexplored whether childhood atopic status has impact on subsequent development and persistence of rhinitis in adolescence and adulthood. As such, in this study, we investigated the relationship of atopic status in childhood stage with rhinitis in adolescence and early adulthood in a prospective population- based Asian schoolchildren cohort, the Prediction of Allergies in Taiwanese CHildren (PATCH) study. Method : A total of 1315 schoolchildren (median age: 10 years, interquartile range: 8- 11 years) participating in the PATCH study were included in this study. Briefly, the PATCH study launched in 2007, aiming to investigate the epidemiology and predictive factors related to asthma and allergies in children. Childhood atopy was defined by Phadiatop Infant at enrollment. We used a modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire to collect demographic, epidemiologic, and clinical data such as clinical symptoms and diagnosis of allergic diseases including rhinitis at enrollment and the 6 year follow- up, respectively. Multiple logistic regression models with covariates adjustment were performed to investigate the association between atopic status at childhood stage and rhinitis in adolescence and early adulthood. Results : Among the 1315 study children, 752 (57.2%) children had atopy at enrollment. Childhood atopy at enrollment was positively associated with rhinitis ever (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 4.03, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.89- 5.61), current rhinitis (AOR = 3.73, 95% CI: 2.68- 5.20), and physician- diagnosed rhinitis (AOR = 3.72, 95% CI: 2.65- 5.22), respectively, during a follow- up study in adolescence and early adulthood. In addition, among children having current rhinitis at enrollment, there was a positive association between childhood atopy and persistent symptoms of rhinitis during follow- up (AOR = 3.93; 95% CI: 2.13- 7.24). Conclusion : Our results indicate positive associations between childhood atopy and rhinitis in adolescence and early adulthood. Further investigations in relation to underlying mechanisms are needed. |
