The Prevalence of Allergic Diseases in Poland - the Results of the PMSEAD Study in Relation to Gender Differences

Males and females exhibit different susceptibility to allergic diseases. The aim of the study was to evaluate gender-related differences in the prevalence of allergic diseases in Poland. To evaluate this problem, data from the Polish Multicenter Study of the Epidemiology of Allergic Diseases (PMSEAD) was analyzed. There were assessed 16,238 individuals, aged 3 to 80 years, among them 12,970 adults and 3,268 children. In adults the prevalence of asthma was 5.4%, seasonal allergic rhinitis 8.5%, persistent allergic rhinitis 3.0%, atopic dermatitis 1.6%, contact dermatitis 2.0%, and drug allergy 8.6%. In children asthma was diagnosed in 8.6% of the individuals assessed, seasonal allergic rhinitis in 8.6%, persistent allergic rhinitis in 2.1%, atopic dermatitis in 4.7%, contact dermatitis in 1.1% and drug allergy in 8.9%. Among the children in the sample, significantly higher prevalence rates were found in boys than in girls for asthma (10.9% vs. 6.3%; OR = 1.81; p