Elucidation of the increase in allergy symptoms among school children : a large-scale long-term longitudinal study

从1973年到2006年，对大阪府所有公立小学的学生进行了16次主观症状问卷调查。我们利用问卷调查结果分析学龄儿童过敏症状患病率的趋势。在大阪府，喘息的患病率从1973年到1983年保持在同一水平，从1983年到1993年上升，此后又趋于平稳。从1985年到1993年，特应性皮炎的终生患病率急剧上升，但此后下降。关于鼻炎和眼痒，自1993年以来，常年症状率保持不变，而可能由授粉引起的季节性症状率则增加了。此外，有这些过敏症状的学生中有很大一部分还患有其他过敏症状，但就鼻炎和眼痒而言，只有少数并发症，无论是常年性症状还是季节性症状。在过去十年左右的时间里，大约45%的学生至少患有上述一种过敏症状，而大约55%的学生没有任何过敏症状；在过去十年中，这些数字大致保持不变。患有至少一种症状（喘息、特应性皮炎、常年鼻炎或常年眼痒）的学生比例下降，而仅患有季节性鼻炎或季节性眼痒的学生比例增加，这可能是由花粉症引起的。患有常年和季节性症状的学生比例保持不变。近年来，有研究表明，患有花粉症的学生独立于常年性过敏疾病的比例有所增加。

From 1973 through 2006, 16 questionnaire surveys of subjective symptoms were conducted on the pupils of all the public elementary schools in Osaka Prefecture. We analyzed the trends in the prevalence rates of allergy symptoms in school children using the questionnaire results. In Osaka Prefecture, the prevalence rate of wheezing remained on the same level from 1973 through 1983, increased from 1983 through 1993, and thereafter leveled off again. The lifetime prevalence of atopic dermatitis sharply increased from 1985 through 1993, but decreased thereafter. Regarding rhinitis and eye itching, perennial symptom rates remained constant from 1993 onward, whereas the rates of seasonal symptoms presumably caused by pollinosis increased. Furthermore, a large percentage of the pupils with these allergy symptoms also suffered from other allergy symptoms, but regarding rhinitis and eye itching, there have only been a few complication cases in terms of both perennial and seasonal symptoms. During the past ten years or so, about 45% of pupils suffered from at least one of the above allergy symptoms, while about 55% suffered from none; these figures remained more or less the same during the past decade. The rate of pupils suffering from at least one symptom (wheezing, atopic dermatitis, perennial rhinitis or perennial eye itching) decreased, whereas the rate of pupils suffering only from seasonal rhinitis or seasonal eye itching presumably caused by pollinosis increased. The rate of pupils suffering from both perennial and seasonal symptoms remained constant. In recent years, it has been suggested that the rate of pupils suffering from pollinosis independently of perennial allergy diseases has increased.