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  • Original Communication
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Obesity is associated with increased risk of allergy in Vietnamese adolescents

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 59, pages 571–577 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Background:

The prevalence of allergic diseases has remarkably increased in the last decades in tandem with the number of obese individuals. Results of studies on obesity and allergic diseases are controversial, and most of them are related to asthma and asthma-like symptoms.

Objective:

In our study, we evaluated the association of several obesity indices and the prevalence of allergic diseases, including bronchial asthma, allergic rhino-conjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis and food allergy.

Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Results:

From a total of 1185 adolescents (49.3% boys) aged 12 to 17 y old, 19.3% reported a physician-diagnosed allergic disease, and 35.3% reported undiagnosed allergic symptoms. Logistic regression analysis revealed a higher risk of allergy in children of middle (OR=2.02, CI: 1.12–3.64) and high (OR=2.40, CI: 1.25–4.61) compared to low socioeconomic status, in subjects reporting industrial emissions in the neighborhood (OR=2.19, CI: 1.40–3.41), and in adolescents with parental history of allergy (OR=1.92, CI: 1.26–2.92). Body mass index (BMI) and percentage of body fat (%BF) were significantly related to allergy (OR=1.16, CI: 1.01–1.34 for BMI; OR=1.03, CI: 1.01–1.06 for %BF). After controlling for socioeconomic status, industrial emissions and parental history of allergy, only %BF remained statistically significant (OR=1.03, CI: 1.01–1.06). Food allergy was not related to obesity in our study population, and when adolescents with food allergy were excluded from the analysis, the odds of having allergy increased 28% with each increase in SD of BMI (OR=1.28, CI: 1.05–1.57) and 5% for each unit increase in the percentage of body fat (OR=1.05, CI: 1.01–1.08).

Conclusion:

In conclusion, being overweight was associated with an increased risk of allergy in our study population. Our results point towards an association between being overweight and rhino-conjunctivitis, but not food allergy. No association was observed with other allergic diseases.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the field workers at the Child Nutrition Center in Ho Chi Minh City for their contribution to the data collection and its preparation for the analysis. We also thank Dr Jonathan Siekmann for his invaluable help in review of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Human Life and Environment, Nara Women's University, Nara City, Japan

    A V Irei & T Matoba

  2. Department of Life Sciences, Shikoku University, Tokushima City, Japan

    K Takahashi

  3. Child Nutrition Center of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Duc Son N T Le, P T N Ha & N T K Hung

  4. International Public Health Nutrition, Graduate School of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima City, Japan

    D Kunii, T Sakai & S Yamamoto

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  1. A V Irei
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  2. K Takahashi
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  3. Duc Son N T Le
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  4. P T N Ha
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  5. N T K Hung
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  6. D Kunii
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  7. T Sakai
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S Yamamoto.

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Guarantor: S Yamamoto.

Contributors: AVI and KT contributed to the study design, analysis, and writing of the manuscript. LNTDS, PTNH, and NTKH contributed to the study design and data collection. DK, TS, TM, and SY contributed to the study design and supervised the study.

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Irei, A., Takahashi, K., Le, D. et al. Obesity is associated with increased risk of allergy in Vietnamese adolescents. Eur J Clin Nutr 59, 571–577 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602120

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602120

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