Aero-Allergen Sensitization in the General Population: Longitudinal Analyses of the LEAD (Lung Heart Social Body) Study

Monitoring of sensitization may become a non-invasive marker of impaired epithelial barrier function related to changing environmental conditions. To longitudinally evaluate the prevalence and associated factors for positive skin prick tests (SPT) in a general population cohort. Baseline and 4-year follow-up data from the longitudinal LEAD study are used for the current analyses. Risk factors for SPT were analyzed by multivariate binary logistic regression analyses, including residence (urban/rural), sex, socioeconomic status (SES), allergic and/or respiratory diseases, lung function testing, blood eosinophils, body composition, lifestyle habits, family history, pets in household, and exposure to tobacco smoke in childhood/adolescence (6-18 years) and adulthood (≥19 years). In total, 1439 children/adolescents and 9844 adults with valid SPTs were included in these analyses. The prevalence of sensitization at baseline was 37.6% and was higher in males in every age group, except 10-