ORIGINAL ARTICLE ANAPHYLAXIS The EuroPrevall-INCO surveys on the prevalence of food allergies in children from China, India and Russia: the study methodology G. W. K. Wong 1 , P. A. Mahesh 2 , L. Ogorodova 3 , T. F. Leung 1 , O. Fedorova 3 , A. D. Holla 2 , M. Fernandez-Rivas 4 , E. N. Clare Mills 5 , I. Kummeling 6 , R. van Ree 7 , M. Yazdanbakhsh 8 & P. Burney 6 1 Department of Paediatrics and School of Public Health, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China; 2 Allergy Asthma Associates, Mysore, India; 3 Siberian State Medical University, Tomsk, Russia; 4 Allergy Department, Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain; 5 Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK; 6 Department of Respiratory Epidemiology and Public Health, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK; 7 Department of Experimental Immunology and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; 8 Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands To cite this article: Wong GWK, Mahesh PA, Ogorodova L, Leung TF, Fedorova O, Holla AD, Fernandez-Rivas M, Clare Mills EN, Kummeling I, van Ree R, Yazdanbakhsh M, Burney P. The EuroPrevall-INCO surveys on the prevalence of food allergies in children from China, India and Russia: the study methodology. Allergy 2010; 65: 385–390. IgE mediated food allergy is common affecting children and adults in many developed countries, and there is evidence of a possible increase in the prevalence of this condition (1–5). However, the exact pathophysiology of food allergy remains poorly understood and currently the only preventive treat- ment for this potentially fatal condition is avoidance of foods. The stress and anxiety about possible reactions in patients with food allergies can significantly affect their quality of life as the clinical manifestations of food allergy can range from a mild oral itch to a life-threatening anaphy- lactic reaction (6, 7). It has been estimated that about 30 000 food-induced anaphylactic episodes occurred each year in the United States, resulting in more than 150 deaths (8). Despite the availability of many published reports from Europe and America (9, 10), it has been difficult to make any firm conclusion regarding the prevalence and aetiology of food Keywords epidemiology; food allergy; paediatrics. Correspondence Gary W. K. Wong, Department of Paediatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China. Accepted for publication 23 August 2009 DOI:10.1111/j.1398-9995.2009.02214.x Edited by: Jean Bousquet Abstract Background: Very little is known regarding the global variations in the prevalence of food allergies. The EuroPrevall-INCO project has been developed to evaluate the prevalence of food allergies in China, India and Russia using the standardized methodology of the EuroPrevall protocol used for studies in the European Union. The epidemiological surveys of the project were designed to estimate variations in the prevalence of food allergy and exposure to known or suspected risk factors for food allergy and to compare the data with different European countries. Methods: Random samples of primary schoolchildren were recruited from urban and rural regions of China, Russia and India for screening to ascertain possible adverse reactions to foods. Cases and controls were then selected to answer a detailed questionnaire designed to evaluate the possible risk factors of food allergies. Objective evidence of sensitisation including skin-prick test and serum specific IgE measurement was also collected. Results: More than 37 000 children from the three participating countries have been screened. The response rates for the screening phase ranged from 83% to 95%. More than 3000 cases and controls were studied in the second phase of the study. Furthur confirmation of food allergies by double blind food challenge was conducted. Conclusions: This will be the first comparative study of the epidemiology of food allergies in China, India, and Russia using the same standardized methodology. The findings of these surveys will complement the data obtained from Europe and provide insights into the development of food allergy. Allergy Allergy 65 (2010) 385–390 ª 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S 385