Prevalence of allergic diseases among Korean adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: comparison with pre-COVID-19 11-year trends.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, emergency department utilization and hospitalization rates for allergic diseases declined and the severity of allergies among admitted patients was low. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of allergic diseases among adolescents and the changes in trend during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with those during the preceding 11 years. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We analyzed data from the nationwide web-based self-report Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey. From 2009 to 2020, adolescents aged 13-18 years participated in the survey. The survey period was divided into pre-pandemic Periods I (2009-2011), II (2012-2014), III (2015-2017), and IV (2018-2019) and the pandemic period (Period V, 2020). The current prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, allergic morbidity (having at least one of the three conditions) and changes in the prevalence before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed. RESULTS: Data of 787,043 participants were analyzed after weighting the study population (mean age, 15.1 years; males, 52.3%). The prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and allergic morbidity was 2.1%, 18.4%, 6.8%, and 23.6%, respectively. The prevalence of allergic morbidity increased between Periods I and IV but declined significantly from Periods IV to V. From Periods I to IV, the prevalence of asthma decreased, the prevalence of allergic rhinitis increased, and the prevalence of atopic dermatitis remained unchanged. During Period V, the prevalence of all three conditions decreased. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to update management measures and develop relevant policies in response to the altered prevalence of allergic diseases since the outbreak of COVID-19.