Barbara Sozańska1, Mateusz Błaszczyk2, Neil Pearce3, Paul Cullinan4. 1. 1st Department of Pediatrics, Allergology and Cardiology, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland. 2. Faculty of Sociology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland. 3. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand. 4. Imperial College (NHLI) and Royal Brompton Hospital, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: p.cullinan@imperial.ac.uk.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In 2003, we recorded a striking difference in the prevalence of atopy between village and small-town populations in southwest Poland. Nine years later, we undertook a second survey of the same area. OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess whether rapid changes in farming practices, driven by accession to the European Union in 2004, were accompanied by an increase in atopy, asthma, and hay fever in these villages. METHODS: In 2012, we surveyed 1730 inhabitants older than 5 years (response rate, 85%); 560 villagers and 348 town inhabitants who had taken part in the earlier survey. Participants completed a questionnaire on farm-related exposures and symptoms of asthma and hay fever. Atopy was assessed by using skin prick tests. RESULTS: In 2012, far fewer villagers had contact with cows (4% vs 24.3% in 2003) or pigs (14% vs 33.5%), milked cows (2.7% vs 12.7%), or drank unpasteurized milk (9% vs 35%). Among the villagers, there was a significant increase at all ages in the prevalence of atopy between 2003 and 2012 both in the total population (7.3% vs 19.6%, P < .0001) and among those who took part in both surveys (7.9% vs 17.8%, P < .0001). Among the townspeople, the prevalence of atopy did not change substantially (20% vs 19.9% and 21.7% vs 18.5%, respectively). Hay fever increased 2-fold in the villages (3.0% vs 7.7%) but not in the town (7.1% vs 7.2%); there was little or no change in asthma prevalence in the villages (5.0% vs 4.3%) or town (4.3% vs 5.0%). CONCLUSIONS: We report a substantial increase in atopy at all ages and in a remarkably short period of time in a Polish population whose farm-related exposures were dramatically reduced after their country's accession to the European Union.
BACKGROUND: In 2003, we recorded a striking difference in the prevalence of atopy between village and small-town populations in southwest Poland. Nine years later, we undertook a second survey of the same area. OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess whether rapid changes in farming practices, driven by accession to the European Union in 2004, were accompanied by an increase in atopy, asthma, and hay fever in these villages. METHODS: In 2012, we surveyed 1730 inhabitants older than 5 years (response rate, 85%); 560 villagers and 348 town inhabitants who had taken part in the earlier survey. Participants completed a questionnaire on farm-related exposures and symptoms of asthma and hay fever. Atopy was assessed by using skin prick tests. RESULTS: In 2012, far fewer villagers had contact with cows (4% vs 24.3% in 2003) or pigs (14% vs 33.5%), milked cows (2.7% vs 12.7%), or drank unpasteurized milk (9% vs 35%). Among the villagers, there was a significant increase at all ages in the prevalence of atopy between 2003 and 2012 both in the total population (7.3% vs 19.6%, P < .0001) and among those who took part in both surveys (7.9% vs 17.8%, P < .0001). Among the townspeople, the prevalence of atopy did not change substantially (20% vs 19.9% and 21.7% vs 18.5%, respectively). Hay fever increased 2-fold in the villages (3.0% vs 7.7%) but not in the town (7.1% vs 7.2%); there was little or no change in asthma prevalence in the villages (5.0% vs 4.3%) or town (4.3% vs 5.0%). CONCLUSIONS: We report a substantial increase in atopy at all ages and in a remarkably short period of time in a Polish population whose farm-related exposures were dramatically reduced after their country's accession to the European Union.
Authors: Elina Jerschow; Garrett Strizich; Xiaonan Xue; Golda Hudes; Simon Spivack; Victoria Persky; Guadalupe X Ayala; Alan Delamater; Youngmee Kim; Erin Etzel; Jianwen Cai; Robert C Kaplan Journal: Am J Prev Med Date: 2017-02-02 Impact factor: 5.043
Authors: Teresa Stemeseder; Bettina Schweidler; Patrick Doppler; Eva Klinglmayr; Stephanie Moser; Lisa Lueftenegger; Martin Himly; Roland Lang; Joerg Zumbach; Gertie J Oostingh; Thomas Hawranek; Arne C Bathke; Gabriele Gadermaier Journal: PLoS One Date: 2017-01-03 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Daniel Munblit; Diego G Peroni; Alba Boix-Amorós; Peter S Hsu; Belinda Van't Land; Melvin C L Gay; Anastasia Kolotilina; Chrysanthi Skevaki; Robert J Boyle; Maria Carmen Collado; Johan Garssen; Donna T Geddes; Ralph Nanan; Carolyn Slupsky; Ganesa Wegienka; Anita L Kozyrskyj; John O Warner Journal: Nutrients Date: 2017-08-17 Impact factor: 5.717
Authors: Lucy Pembrey; Mauricio L Barreto; Jeroen Douwes; Philip Cooper; John Henderson; Harriet Mpairwe; Cristina Ardura-Garcia; Martha Chico; Collin Brooks; Alvaro A Cruz; Alison M Elliott; Camila A Figueiredo; Sinéad M Langan; Beatrice Nassanga; Susan Ring; Laura Rodrigues; Neil Pearce Journal: ERJ Open Res Date: 2018-08-22