Prevalence of Food Allergy among Children in Al-Ain City, United Arab Emirates

Background: Food allergy (FA) in children is an important health problem. However, the prevalence of FA in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has not yet been determined. This cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the prevalence of FA among school children aged 6-9 years in Al-Ain city, UAE. Methods: We used multistage random sampling in order to get a sample of 397 school children whose parents completed a self-administered questionnaire designed to assess the presence or absence of physician diagnosis of FA and other allergic diseases. Results: The study showed that the prevalence of physician-diagnosed FA in children was 8% (95% CI 5.4-10.8%). Eggs, fruits and fish were the main allergies reported. FA was independently related to a family history of FA, to a small sibship size and to a personal history of other atopic diseases. Conclusions: The prevalence of FA in Al-Ain city was 8%. A history of FA in first-degree family members and a small sibship size were associated with a higher risk of FA in children. FA was related to a personal history of other atopic diseases. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel