Time trends of allergic rhinitis and effects of residence on allergic rhinitis in Korea From 1998 through 2007e2009

Purpose: Longitudinal changes in the prevalence of self-reported physician-diagnosed allergic rhinitis (AR) in Korea and the association between the prevalence of AR and type of residence area among Korean males and females in 1998, 2001, 2005 and 2007e2009 were evaluated. Methods: Age-standardized prevalence was calculated using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) IeIV. Stratified factors of sex, age, and socioeconomic status were adjusted to compare the prevalence of AR in relation to residential area by multiple logistic analysis. Results: The prevalence of AR increased by tenfolds from 1.2 % in 1998 to 12.0 % in 2007e2009. The trends for prevalence of AR were also statistically significant (p < .05). The age-standardized prevalence of AR among urban females was higher (13.9%) than that in rural females (11.5%). After adjustment for survey years, age, socioeconomic levels and asthma, the odds of AR were higher in urban than rural residents, except for males in 1998. Conclusion: The prevalence of AR in Korea has increased over the past decade, and living in an urban area may be a susceptible factor. For prevention and management of AR, further evaluations of contributing factors and mechanisms underlying differences in AR are needed.