Prevalence and risk factors for allergic rhinitis in primary school children Zeynep Tamay a, * , Ahmet Akcay b , Ulker Ones a , Nermin Guler a , Gurkan Kilic a , Mehmet Zencir c a Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Chest Diseases, Istanbul School of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey b Department of Pediatrics, Pamukkale School of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Pamukkale, Turkey c Department of Public Health, Pamukkale School of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Pamukkale, Turkey Received 13 June 2006; received in revised form 15 November 2006; accepted 17 November 2006 International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology (2007) 71, 463—471 www.elsevier.com/locate/ijporl KEYWORDS Allergic rhinitis; ISAAC; Risk factors; Children Summary Objective: Allergic rhinitis is a common chronic illness of childhood. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of allergic rhinitis in 6—12-year- old schoolchildren in Istanbul. Methods: A total of 2500 children aged between 6 and 12 years in randomly selected six primary schools of Istanbul were surveyed by using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire between April and May 2004. Results: Of them 2387 (1185 M/1202 F) questionnaires were appropriately completed by the parents with an overall response of 95.4%. The prevalence of physician- diagnosed allergic rhinitis was 7.9% (n = 189). A family history of atopy (aOR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.00—1.68), frequent respiratory tract infection (aOR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.08—1.70) and sinusitis (aOR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.64—3.19), antibiotic use in the first year of life (aOR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.01—1.57), cat at home in the first year of life (aOR = 2.21, 95% CI = 1.36—3.61), dampness at home (aOR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.04— 1.65) and perianal redness (aOR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.01—1.57) were significant for increased risk for allergic rhinitis. Frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables were inversely, and frequent consumption of lollipops and candies were positively associated with allergic rhinitis symptoms. Conclusion: Our study reconfirmed that family history of atopy, frequent respiratory tract infections, antibiotics given in the first year of life, cat at home in the first year of life, dampness at home, perianal redness and dietary habits are important * Corresponding author at: Department of Pediatrics, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Capa 34390, Istanbul, Turkey. Tel.: +90 212 4142000/32349; fax: +90 212 6319301. E-mail address: eztamay@yahoo.com (Z. Tamay). 0165-5876/$ — see front matter # 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2006.11.013