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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]

The purpose of the study is to identify the relationships between allergic disease, suicidal ideation, and plans among Korean adolescents. Additionally, we examined the mediating role of short sleep duration. We analyzed nationally representative cross-sectional data from the 12th to 14th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey; the final sample included 164,725 middle school–aged and high school–aged adolescents (mean age = 15.17 years, standard deviation =.13; 51.1% male). Allergic disease was a statistically significant risk factor for suicidal ideation (crude odds ratio [COR] = 1.284, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.246, 1.323]) and suicide plans (COR = 1.165, 95% CI = [1.108, 1.224]). Short sleep duration was a statistically significant mediator (p <.001). We advised school nurses to assess warning signs of poor sleep—including irritability, depression, sleep problems, poor concentration, and poor academic achievement—and that programs be created to improve sleep and mental health in adolescents with allergic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of asthma and related factors in Korean adults using national health statistics. Methods: This study used statistical data from the 2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The subjects were 5,841 adults aged 19 years or older. The collected data included questions about general, health and disease-related characteristics. Data were analyzed by complex sample test and complex sample multiple logistic regression analysis with the SPSS/WIN 24.0 program. Results: The prevalence of asthma was 2.7%. Factors related to asthma were age (Odds Ratio [OR]=2.21, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]=1.32~3.70), depression (OR=2.62, 95% CI=1.41~4.86), allergic rhinitis (OR=3.51, 95% CI=2.26~5.45), and atopic dermatitis (OR=5.82, 95% CI=3.21~10.53). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that asthma-related factors in Korean adults were age, depression, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis. Therefore, considering these factors, it may be helpful to educate about depression - related nursing intervention for asthma patients and to prevention of allergic antigen exposure for asthma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To examine the prevalence of adult atopic dermatitis according to occupational status. Background While atopic dermatitis is more prevalent among children, some adults also suffer from it. The disease causes considerable difficulty in these adults' social lives at school or work, suggesting that they require high-quality health care. Given the chronic nature and environmental determinants of atopic dermatitis, its associations with occupational characteristics must be clarified. Design An exploratory cross-sectional analysis using secondary data. Method Participants were 662 people diagnosed with atopic dermatitis, all 19 years old or older; raw data were taken from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V (2010-2012) and VI (2013-2014). Results Manual workers (adjusted odds ratio 2.50, 95% confidence interval, 1.30-4.83), paid workers (1.70, 1.15-2.51), regular workers (1.83, 1.18-2.85), and full-time workers (1.88, 1.23-2.89) all showed increased odds of currently suffering from atopic dermatitis. Conclusion Prevalence rates of atopic dermatitis differed by occupational characteristics, which suggests the need for interventions seeking to prevent symptom recurrence that are tailored to occupational characteristics. We expect this study to provide helpful baseline data for better policy-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) has continuously increased throughout the world in every age group, and the recent increase in AD in Korean adults may be related to changes in nutrient intakes due to westernization of dietary patterns. We hypothesized that the prevalence of AD is associated with the different dietary patterns and fermented food intakes of the Korean adult population. We examined the hypothesis using 9763 adults 19 years or older using the 2012-2013 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We identified 4 dietary patterns in addition to that including fermented foods using principal component analysis on data obtained from a 116-item validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire: meat and processed foods; vegetables, fruits, legumes, seafood, and seaweed; rice and grains; and coffee, chocolate, and ice cream. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for AD were calculated according to dietary patterns after adjusting for potential confounders. High levels of consumption (>92 times/month) of fermented foods such as doenjang, chungkookjang, kimchi, fermented seafood, makgeolli, and beer were associated with a lower prevalence of AD (OR, 0.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37-0.84). In contrast, high levels of consumption of meat and processed foods were strongly associated with the prevalence of AD (OR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.48-3.94). Interestingly, the consumption of coffee, chocolate, and ice cream was significantly negatively associated with the prevalence of AD (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.34-0.82). In conclusion, the hypothesis was accepted. The results can be applied to nutrition education programs for the general population to decrease risk factors for AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to examine the association between smoking type and the prevalence of atopic dermatitis and asthma in men and women. Background: Cases of allergic diseases have been steadily increasing worldwide. Smoking is associated with serious diseases. Only a few studies have assessed the association between smoking and atopic dermatitis and asthma in adults, and gender difference studies are scarce despite a significant difference in smoking rates. Methods: We conducted a secondary cross‐sectional analysis of 17 886 adults with atopic dermatitis and 17 889 with asthma aged ≥19 years, using raw data from the Fifth Korea national Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010‐2012). Results: The prevalence of atopic dermatitis in men was not associated with active or passive smoking, whereas asthma prevalence in men was associated with indoor passive smoking exposure at home. We found that atopic dermatitis prevalence in women was associated with current smoking status, whereas asthma prevalence in women was associated with the presence of an indoor daily smoker at home and indoor passive smoking exposure at home. Conclusion: Asthmatic adults should be informed of the hazards of passive smoking, and women with atopic dermatitis should in particular be dissuaded from smoking. What is already known about this topic? The number of cases of allergic diseases has been steadily increasing worldwide over the past few decades.The association between allergic diseases and smoking remains controversial, and further clarification is required.There is a significant difference between the smoking rates of men and women. What this paper adds? There were associations between smoking types and the prevalence of atopic dermatitis and asthma for men and women.The prevalence of atopic dermatitis in men was not associated with active or passive smoking, whereas asthma prevalence in men was associated with indoor passive smoking exposure at home.We found that atopic dermatitis prevalence in women was associated with current smoking status, whereas asthma prevalence in women was associated with the presence of an indoor daily smoker at home and indoor passive smoking exposure at home. The implications of this study: Asthmatic adults should be informed of the hazards of passive smoking.Women with atopic dermatitis should especially be dissuaded from smoking.Education is also needed to explain the hazards of passive smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]