Risk factors of adverse reactions to food in German adults

Summary Background Allergic diseases have been increasing during the last decades. Previous studies suggest an impact of a variety of risk factors on the prevalence of food hypersensitivity. Objective Data of a cross‐sectional population‐based survey were analysed to study the prevalence of food hypersensitivity in females and males adjusted for age and education. Methods A population aged 18–79 years from a representative, randomly sampled survey studying 13 300 inhabitants from Germany (Berlin) was analysed. The Berlin study data were weighted with regard to age, sex, education and allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis, rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma. Instruments for evaluation included mailed questionnaires, structured telephone interviews, physical examinations, detection of total IgE, skin prick tests and double‐blind, placebo‐controlled food challenge tests (DBPCFC). Results Three thousand two hundred and twenty‐seven questionnaires were evaluated. The data show a significantly higher risk of self‐reported symptoms in the female group, among persons with higher education and in the age group of 18–39 years. Among individuals with clinical symptoms, females were at lower risk of having positive skin prick tests [aOR=0.32; 95% CI (0.21–0.50); P