[Epidemiological investigation of allergic rhinitis in the primary school students in grade three of Shihezi city].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the epidemic features of allergic rhinitis(AR)and correlative risk factors in Shihezi city, Xinjiang province, China.
METHOD: A questionnaire survey on AR and airway diseases was conducted among 2 300 elementary school children in 12 schools, aged from 9 to 10 years old, from july 10 to 25, 2008 . in Shihezi city, Xinjiang province. Suspects of AR was identified by the survey, then they were recommended to specialist examinations for accurate diagnosis. Allergen skin tests were performed to explore the allergenic varieties of allergic rhinitis. Diagnosis criteria of AR were that of ARIA (Allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma). RE-SULT: Two thousand two hundred and eleven questionnaires were returned. The response rate was 96.1% and 2205 questionnaires were available. The prevalence rate of AR in children aged from 9 to 10 was 12.56% (277/2 205) in Shihezi city. The difference of prevalence between female 13.76% (153/1112) and male 11. 34% (124/1093) was insignificant statistically(CHI2 = 2.924, P > 0. 05). The positive rate of the allergen skin test was 65. 3%. The most common allergen of allergic rhinitis were plants of the mugwort and house dust mite. According to the classification criteria of ARIA in 2001, of 155 children suffered from intermittent AR, 112 cases were mild and 43 cases were moderate-severe, while 122 suffered from persistent AR,110 cases were mild and 12 cases were moderate severe. 5.4% (15/277) patients with AR also had bronchial asthma. 25. 3% (70/277) of the children with AR had inherent predisposition.
CONCLUSION: The prevalence rate of AR in children aged from 9 to 10 in Shihezi city is 12.56%. Strategy of prevention and treatment of AR can be worked out according to the epidemical feature of AR.