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Atopic dermatitis (AD) has a negative influence on school attendance. We aimed to identify factors associated with school absenteeism in adolescents with AD. We used data from the 3rd to 11th annual Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey completed from 2007 to 2015. Survey data were obtained from a stratified, multistage, clustered sample. Participants responded to the question "have you ever been diagnosed with AD?" Factors associated with AD-related school absenteeism (ADSA), which is defined as at least one school absence due to AD, were evaluated. Among the 141,899 subjects, the prevalence of AD increased (17.3% to 24.2%), while that of ADSA decreased (7.3% to 2.6%) from 2007 to 2015. Compared to adolescents without ADSA, those with ADSA were more likely to be male, middle school students, and have negative mental health states, including suicidality. In the multivariate logistic regression model, the association of sleep dissatisfaction and depression with ADSA was high (adjusted odds ratio, 6.12; 95% confidence intervals, 4.61–7.95; and 5.44; 5.23–5.67, respectively). The prevalence of ADSA has decreased despite an increase in the prevalence of AD in Korean adolescents; however, it is important for pediatricians to screen for factors associated with ADSA to improve school attendance in adolescents with AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and healthcare utilization by children with allergic diseases. We determined SES based on parental occupation and household income. A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (KNHANES) between 2015 and 2019 with participants who were under 18 years of age. The presence of allergic conditions was determined by a self-reported survey of parental response and healthcare utilization data (such as inpatient and outpatient visits). Moreover, we categorized SES into four quantiles (Q1–Q4) based on household income per annum. Then, the data were analyzed using chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression analysis with confidence intervals (CIs) of 95%, and p < 0.05 was considered significant. A total of 3250 participants were involved in this study. The percentage of allergic diseases was 67.9% for allergic asthma and 32.1% for atopic dermatitis. It was found that the participants who were over 13 years old had atopic dermatitis and were more likely to visit the hospital than younger children. Additionally, the highest SES group in Q4 demonstrated higher healthcare utilization (OR = 1.58; 95% CI, 1.14–1.76) than other SES groups. Our study reveals that parental socioeconomic characteristics are related to the use of healthcare services for children with allergic disorders in Korea. These results highlight the need for public health actions and research to overcome the SES gap among children with allergic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that is common in children and is increasing worldwide. This study aimed to identify differences in children's health behavior and social-emotional health status based on AD diagnosis at late school age. For this purpose, we conducted a descriptive survey using the 12th Panel Study on Korean Children data obtained in 2019. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Rao–Scott χ 2 test, and a t-test using a complex sample analysis. A total of 1412 11-year-old Korean children participated in the study, of whom an estimated 8.2% were diagnosed with AD. In the children diagnosed with AD, the transition from exclusive breastfeeding to mixed feeding was later than that in children without AD (F = 5.71, p = 0.024), and the prevalence of AD in their parents was higher (F = 6.97, p = 0.014). Regarding health behaviors, the children diagnosed with AD had a higher intake frequency of protein (F = 5.41, p = 0.028) and vegetables (F = 6.09, p = 0.020). Regarding social-emotional health, subjective health status (F = 3.94, p = 0.026) and friend relationships (F = 2.95, p = 0.007) were lower in the children diagnosed with AD. These results, as preliminary data for interventions for school-aged children with AD, suggest that the difficulties of children's peer relationships should be considered and dealt with in further interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Many studies have reported that fermented foods have favorable effects in preventing and managing atopic dermatitis (AD). Although kimchi, a major fermented food, is an important part of the traditional diet in Korea, only a few studies have investigated the relationship between AD and kimchi. This study aimed to examine the association between the risk of AD and kimchi intake among Korean adults aged 19 to 49 years.Methods and Study Design: We conducted a population-based, cross-sectional study among a total of 7,222 adults who participated in the 2010-2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. We defined AD based on responses to a health interview and assessed kimchi intake using a 24-hour recall method administered by well-trained interviewers.Results: In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, we observed a significantly decreased odds ratio (OR) of having AD according to kimchi consumption after adjustment for confounding factors. In particular, subjects in the third quartile of kimchi consumption (85.0-158 g) had a 32% lower presence of AD than those in the first quartile of kimchi consumption (0-36.0 g) (Odds ratio: 0.68, 95% confidence interval: 0.50-0.92).Conclusions: We found that consuming 85.0-158 g/day of kimchi was significantly associated with a lower presence of AD. Considering that one serving size of kimchi is 40 g, this corresponds to about 2-4 servings per day. This finding suggests that adequate amount of kimchi intake might have a protective effect against AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The incidence of atopic dermatitis (AD) is continuously increasing in industrialized countries, possibly due to dietary and lifestyle changes. However, the association between processed food intake and AD has not been studied in a large adult population.Methods and Study Design: We investigated the association between dietary habits and AD in 17,497 adults in the 2009-2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES).Results: We identified 4 dietary patterns using principal components analysis of a 63-item food frequency questionnaire: the "traditional dietary pattern", rich in rice and kimchi; the "processed food pattern", with more meat, instant noodles, soda, and processed foods; the "healthy dietary pattern", high in grains, vegetables, fruits, and seaweeds; and the "drinking dietary pattern", mainly drinking coffee and alcohol. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for AD were calculated according to dietary patterns after adjusting for potential confounders with incorporation of sample weights for the complex sample design. The "meat and processed food" pattern was associated with a significant 1.57 fold higher OR for atopic dermatitis than the low consumption group. Further analysis revealed that the increased atopic dermatitis was most closely associated with instant noodles. In contrast, the groups with high intake of rice and kimchi exhibited lower ORs, 0.38 and 0.43 folds, compared to the low intake group.Conclusion: Consuming instant noodles, meat and processed foods was associated with increased prevalence of atopic dermatitis, whereas consuming rice and kimchi, and coffee was associated with decreased prevalence of atopic dermatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Various international reports have shown that socioeconomic and sociodemographic variables are correlated with allergic diseases; however, little is known about how these variables affect Korean adolescents. This study was conducted to identify socioeconomic and sociodemographic risk factors for allergic diseases in Korean adolescents to provide information for preventing and managing such conditions.Methods: Data from the 2011 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBWS-VII) of 75,643 adolescents were used. An anonymously administered online survey was conducted to collect dependent variable information on perceived sexes, residence, family affluence (Family Affluence Scale; FAS), parental education levels, subjective academic achievement, obesity, drinking and smoking. The independent variables were asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the correlations between the dependent and independent variables.Results: Low subjective academic achievement, obesity, drinking and smoking were risk factors for asthma. High FAS, parental bachelor's degree and high subjective academic achievement were risk factors for allergic rhinitis. Finally, high FAS, maternal bachelor's degree and high subjective academic achievement were risk factors for atopic dermatitis.Conclusion: We found that high socioeconomic status (SES) was a risk factor for allergic diseases in Korean adolescents. We propose that the greater access to medical services and immunization (e.g., hygiene hypothesis) afforded by high SES influenced the prevalence of allergic diseases. Thus, as the Korean economy develops further, the prevalence of allergic diseases is likely to increase. Controlling harmful behavioral risk factors, such as drinking and smoking, may help to prevent adolescent allergic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]