Search

Abstract Previous studies have examined the prevalence of allergic diseases in adolescents 1–2 years after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, more data is needed to understand the long-term impact of COVID-19 on allergic diseases. Thus, we aimed to examine the trend of the atopic dermatitis prevalence in Korean adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic across 14 years. Additionally, we analyze the risk factors of atopic dermatitis (AD) based on the results. The Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency conducted the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey from 2009 to 2022, from which the data for this study were obtained. Prevalence trends were compared across subgroups, and the β difference (βdiff) was calculated. We computed odds ratios to examine changes in the disease prevalence before and during the pandemic. This study included a total of 917,461 participants from 2009 to 2022. The prevalence of atopic dermatitis increased from 6.79% (95% CI 6.66–6.91) in 2009–2011 to 6.89% (95% CI 6.72–7.05) in 2018–2019, then decreased slightly to 5.82% (95% CI 5.60–6.04) in 2022. Across the 14 years, middle school student status, low parent’s highest education level, low household income, non-alcohol consumption, non-smoker smoking status, no suicidal thoughts, and no suicide attempts were associated with increased risk of atopic dermatitis, while female sex, rural residence, high BMI, low school performance, low household income, and no feelings of sadness and despair was associated with a small increase. This study examined the prevalence of atopic dermatitis across an 18-year, and found that the prevalence increased in the pre-pandemic then decreased during the start of the pandemic and remained constant throughout the pandemic. This trend could be explained mainly by the large scale social and political changes that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Although obesity is known to be related to allergic diseases, few studies have investigated the prevalence of allergic diseases in individuals with obesity, especially during the COVID–19 pandemic. Thus, this study aimed to analyze national trends of allergic diseases among individuals with obesity and sociodemographic factors. Methods: This study used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to examine the prevalence of allergic diseases among individuals with obesity in South Korea from 2005 to 2021. A nationally representative sample of 118,275 participants aged over 2 years or above was divided into six groups for analysis. This study used weighted multivariate regression analysis to examine the estimates of related factors. It assessed the weighted odds ratios or β–coefficients for these factors across different categories, including age, sex, region of residence, education level, household income, and body mass index for the entire population. Results: All allergic diseases showed a general upward trend from 2005 to 2021, but each disease showed different prevalence trends when compared by age. Before the pandemic, those aged ≤39 years had an increasing trend for asthma and AD, but those aged ≥40 years had a decreasing trend. For asthma, β–coefficients were 0.629 (95 % CI, 0.299 to 0.958) for 19–39 years, −0.245 (−0.450 to −0.040) for 40–59 years, and −0.668 (−1.024 to −0.313) for ≥60 years. For AD, β–coefficients were 2.514 (1.258–3.769) in those aged 2–18 years, 0.630 (0.173–1.086) in those aged 19–39 years, −0.458 (−0.648 to −0.268) in those aged 40–59 years, and −0.253 (−0.454 to −0.052) in those aged ≥60 years. However, for both asthma and AD, there were no significant changes in prevalence during the pandemic. In the case of AR, trends were different from those of asthma and AD. Before the pandemic, AR showed an increasing trend in those aged ≤39 years and those aged ≥40 years: β–coefficients were 3.067 (2.344–3.790) in 19–39 years, 2.051 (1.609–2.493) in 40–59 years, and 1.173 (0.820–1.526) in ≥60 years. During the pandemic, there was an increasing trend only among those aged 40–59, with no significant changes in other age groups: β–coefficients were 1.438 (0.065–2.811) in 40–59 years. Conclusions: From 2005 to 2021, all allergic diseases (asthma, AD, and AR) increased overall, but with different age-related trends. No significant link was found between COVID–19 and allergic diseases, possibly due to preventive measures like mask-wearing and social distancing. Anxiety about accessing healthcare during the pandemic likely contributed to a decline in allergy diagnoses, highlighting the need for comprehensive strategies to manage and prevent allergic diseases.