Gesundheit! Allergies Affect More Than One in Four

— Adults and children alike face high rates, federal survey shows

by
Elizabeth Short, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
January 26, 2023

More than a quarter of adults and children experienced some kind of allergic condition in 2021, according to two National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reports.

The rate of 27.2% among children 17 years and under represented an increase from previous decades, reported Benjamin Zablotsky, PhD, of the NCHS in Hyattsville, Maryland, and coauthors in NCHS Data Brief.

Among adults, 31.8% reported experiencing at least one allergic condition in 2021, Amanda E. Ng, MPH, and Peter Boersma, MPH, of the NCHS, reported in the same publication.

Seasonal and food allergies were more prevalent in adults than children in the U.S.

In 2021, 25.7% of adults experienced seasonal allergies, 7.3% experienced eczema, and 6.2% reported food allergies.

Among children, the 2021 data showed 18.9% of children experienced seasonal allergies, 10.8% experienced eczema, and 5.8% experienced food allergies.

By comparison, in data from 2011, rates of respiratory allergies among children were 17%, skin allergies 12.5%, and food allergies 5.1%. However, the authors cautioned, “Estimates for allergy prevalence are not directly comparable to those calculated using data before the 2019 redesign of the NHIS [National Health Interview Survey] questionnaire due to wording changes.”

Both studies used data from the NHIS, which is a nationally representative household survey of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population done continuously through the year by the NCHS. Respondents have typically been interviewed in their homes, with follow-ups that could be conducted over the telephone.

“Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, interviewing procedures were disrupted, and during 2021, 61.4% of Sample Child interviews were conducted at least partially by telephone,” Zablotsky’s group noted.

In the adult sample, 62.8% were conducted at least partially by phone.

In the pediatric data, “[p]revalence of diagnosed allergic conditions varied by age, and disparities were found across race and Hispanic-origin groups,” wrote Zablotsky and coauthors. “Aside from seasonal allergies, which were more likely in boys than girls, there were no differences by sex in the percentage of children with eczema or food allergies.”

Across all categories of allergic conditions in children, non-Hispanic Black children reported the highest rates of seasonal allergies, food allergies, and eczema, at 21.3%, 7.6%, and 14.4%, respectively.

Seasonal allergies occurred in 20% of boys and 17.7% of girls; food allergies in 5.9% and 5.8%, respectively; and eczema in 10.8% for both boys and girls.

Broken down by age, children ages 12-17 years were most likely to have seasonal allergies (24.2%), then children ages 6-11 (21.3%), followed by children ages 5 years and under (10.4%).

Eczema was most common in 6- to 11-year-olds (12.1%), followed by children ages 5 and under (10.4%), then children 12-17 years (9.8%).

Children ages 12-17 experienced food allergies at the highest rate (7.1%), followed by children ages 6-11 years (5.8%), and children 5 and younger (4.4%).

Among adults, women were more likely to experience allergic conditions than men, including seasonal allergies (29.9% vs 21.2%), eczema (8.9% vs 5.7%), and food allergies (7.8% vs 4.6%).

Non-Hispanic white adults reported the most seasonal allergies (28.4%), followed by Non-Hispanic Black adults (24%), Hispanic adults (18.8%), and non-Hispanic Asian adults (17%).

Non-Hispanic Black adults experienced the highest rates of both eczema and food allergy, at 8.6% and 8.5%, respectively.

Across all age categories, adults ages 75 and older had the lowest rates of eczema, food allergies, and seasonal allergies.

Adults ages 18-44 had the highest rates of eczema (8.4%), followed by ages 65-74 years (6.8%), then adults ages 45-64 (6.5%) and ages 75 and up (5.5%).

Seasonal allergies were most common in adults ages 45-64 years (27.9%), followed by adults ages 65-74 (26.4%), then ages 18-44 years (24.7%) and those 75 and up (21.7%).

Adults ages 45-64 were most likely to experience food allergies (6.7%), closely followed by those ages 18-44 (6.6%), then adults ages 65-74 years (5.1%) and 75 and above (4.5%).