Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T14:51:58.907Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Age–sex incidence in symptomatic allergies: an excess of females in the child-bearing years

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

P. J. Wormald
Affiliation:
Public Health Laboratory, Odstock Hospital, Salisbury, Wilts.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Eight-hundred and one patients amongst 1912 referred for skin testing because of suspected allergies were found suffering from asthma due to the house-dust mite or from grass pollenosis. They were analysed in terms of sex, age of referral and age of onset of symptoms. Amongst children referred below the age of 10 with house-dust mite asthma the ratio of males to females was 3:1; with grass pollenosis 2–1:1, as expected. The sex ratio gradually became reversed with increasing age of referral, females overtaking males in the third decade. Female–male ratios increased to a mean of 1–8:1 in the fourth and fifth decades. Reliable ages of onset of symptoms were obtained in 388 males and 323 females. Of these, 280 males and 162 females experienced their first symptoms before the age of 10 whereas 96 males and 148 females first developed symptoms between 10 and 29 years of age. The remaining 12 males and 13 females showed their first symptoms after the age of 29.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

References

REFERENCES

Beverley, J. K. A., Fleck, D. G., Kwantes, W. & Ludlam, G. B. (1976). Age–sex distribution of various diseases with particular reference to toxoplasmic lymphadenopathy. Journal of Hygiene 76, 215.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dawson, B., Horobin, G., Illsley, R. & Mitchell, R. (1969). A survey of childhood asthma in Aberdeen. Lancet i, 827.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Godfrey, R. C. & Griffiths, M. (1976). The prevalence of immediate positive skin tests to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and grass pollen in schoolchildren. Clinical Allergy 6, 79.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morrison Smith, J. (1961). Prevalence and natural history of asthma in schoolchildren. British Medical Journal i, 711.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morrison Smith, J. (1973). Skin tests and atopic allergy in children. Clinical Allergy 2, 109.Google Scholar
Morrison Smith, J., Harding, L. K. & Cumming, G. (1971). The changing prevalence of asthma in schoolchildren. Clinical Allergy 1, 57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soothill, J. F., Stokes, C. R., Turner, M. W., Norman, A. P. & Taylor, B. (1976). Predisposing factors and the development of reaginic allergy in infancy. Clinical Allergy 6, 305.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed