D1.173 - Prevalence of Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis in Korean School-aged Children: A Population-based Study

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of food allergies and anaphylaxis in Korean school aged-children and identify common triggering factors.

A nationwide survey was conducted in 2022 using a comprehensive questionnaire administered to schoolchildren aged 6–7, 9–10, and 12–13 years. A cluster sampling method was employed to select a representative sample of 12,558 participants from 213 elementary schools and 103 middle schools.

In Korean school-aged children, the prevalence of food allergy based on "symptoms, ever" was 16.7%, "immediate and recurrent symptoms, ever" was 8.8%, and "diagnosis, ever" was 5.6%. The most common single allergenic foods, in order, were egg, peach, milk, shrimp, crab, peanut, kiwi, walnut, apple, and pineapple. By food group, fruits were the most common, followed by seafood and tree nuts. The top 3 allergenic foods by age group were eggs, milk, and peaches in the 6–7-year age group; peaches, eggs, and milk in the 9–10-year age group; and peaches, shrimp, and crab in the 12–13-year age group. Among children with food allergy symptoms, 44.5% had allergies to two or more foods. Common symptoms of food allergies were skin-mucosal symptoms (74.1%), followed by oral allergy symptoms (12.6%). Skin symptoms tended to decrease with age, whereas oral symptoms showed an increase. The prevalence of "diagnosis, ever" for anaphylaxis was 0.5%. Food was the most common trigger of anaphylaxis.

As age increased, fruit allergies became more prevalent, along with an increase in oral allergy symptoms. This is suspected to be associated with the increased prevalence of pollen allergies and pollen food allergy syndrome. During adolescence, seafood allergies, such as those to shrimp and crab, increase. In Korean school-aged children, a high prevalence of multiple food allergies is observed, and attention should be given to their quality of life.