Prevalence of Asthma and Allergic Diseases Among Children in Adıyaman, Türkiye: a Cross-sectional Study.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of asthma and allergic diseases in school children and adolescents in Adıyaman, Turkey. Material and Methods: The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire was completed online by parents of 280 children aged 6-7 years and 163 adolescents aged 13-14 years living in Adıyaman. Additional questions were added to the online survey to determine the prevalence of food and drug allergies. Results: The prevalence of allergic diseases in the 6-7 and 13-14 age groups were as follows: 23.2% and 18.4% for asthma, 21.4% and 18.4% for allergic rhinitis, 11.4% and 11% for eczema, 10.4% and 8.6% for food allergy, and 8.6% and 3.7% for drug allergy. In the 6-7-year age group, male sex was associated with asthma and allergic rhinitis; cesarean delivery with drug allergy; and fewer siblings with atopic eczema and drug allergy. In the 13-14-year age group, having pets and more siblings were associated with eczema and food allergy, respectively. Conclusion: This is the first study that demonstrated the prevalence of allergic diseases in Adıyaman province and showed that the overall prevalence of allergic diseases is high in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]