Sex-Specific and Long-Term Trends of Asthma, Allergic Rhinitis, and Atopic Dermatitis in South Korea, 2007-2022: A Nationwide Representative Study

Yesol Yim; Hyesu Jo; Seoyoung Park; Yejun Son; Jaeyu Park; Hyeon Jin Kim; Sooji Lee; Hayeon Lee; Damiano Pizzol; Lee Smith; Saiah Kim; Jiseung Kang; Selin Woo; Dong Keon Yon

doi:10.1159/000540928

Sex-Specific and Long-Term Trends of Asthma, Allergic Rhinitis, and Atopic Dermatitis in South Korea, 2007-2022: A Nationwide Representative Study

Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2024 Sep 16:1-18. doi: 10.1159/000540928. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yesol Yim^{1

2}, Hyesu Jo^{1

3}, Seoyoung Park^{1

2}, Yejun Son^{1

2}, Jaeyu Park^{1

3}, Hyeon Jin Kim^{1

3}, Sooji Lee^{1

4}, Hayeon Lee¹, Damiano Pizzol^{5

6}, Lee Smith⁷, Saiah Kim⁸, Jiseung Kang^{9

10}, Selin Woo¹, Dong Keon Yon^{1

2

3

4

11}

Affiliations

¹ Center for Digital Health, Medical Science Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
² Department of Precision Medicine, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
³ Department of Regulatory Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Department of Medicine, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
⁵ Health Unit, Eni, Maputo, Mozambique.
⁶ Health Unit, Eni, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
⁷ Centre for Health, Performance and Wellbeing, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
⁸ Department of Molecular Bioscience, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
⁹ Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
¹¹ Department of Pediatrics, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

PMID: 39284302
DOI: 10.1159/000540928

Abstract

Introduction: Although sex differences in allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis (AD), allergic rhinitis (AR), and asthma are considered important, a limited number of studies during the COVID-19 pandemic investigated this aspect. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze sex-specific and long-term trends and risk factors for allergic diseases before and during the pandemic.

Methods: This study utilized data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007-2022, including 92,135 participants aged 19 years and older. This study used weighted multivariate regression analysis to examine the estimates of related factors and assessed weighted odds ratios or β-coefficients for these factors across multiple categories.

Results: During the study period (2007-2022), the prevalence of AR was more common in females than in males. Particularly in 2022, the prevalence among females was 19.3% (95% confidence interval, 17.3-21.3), while among males, it was 15.6% (13.8-17.4). The prevalence of AD and asthma showed a slight disparity between males and females. Before and during the pandemic, the prevalence of AD and AR showed a continuous increase (AD: from 2.8% [2.5-3.2] in 2007-2009 to 4.7% [3.9-5.4] in 2022; AR: from 11.7% [11.1-12.4] in 2007-2009 to 17.4% [16.0-18.9] in 2022), while asthma maintained a relatively stable trend. Moreover, this study identified several sex-specific factors that seem to be associated with a higher prevalence of allergic diseases in females, such as high household income, smoking, and being overweight or obese.

Conclusions: Throughout all the periods examined, females consistently exhibited a higher prevalence of AR compared to males. Moreover, the risk factors for males and females varied depending on the disease, with females generally facing a greater number of risk factors. Consequently, this study highlights the necessity for sex-specific health interventions and further research to comprehend the complex influence of socioeconomic factors and lifestyle choices on the prevalence and risk of AD, AR, and asthma.

Keywords: Allergic rhinitis; Asthma; Atopic dermatitis; Epidemiology; South Korea.