Home Remodeling and Food Allergy Interact Synergistically to Increase the Risk of Atopic Dermatitis

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of home remodeling and food allergy (FA) on the development of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children. Methods. The Modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire was used to survey 4,111 children recruited from 3 kindergartens and 6 elementary schools from Seongnam, Korea. Participants’ parents agreed for them to participate in physical examinations, skin prick tests, and blood tests. Results. Home remodeling in the past 12 months (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.40, P=0.006), lifetime diagnosis of FA (aOR 3.95, P<0.001), parental history of AD (aOR 2.67, P=0.001), and FA (aOR 2.35, P=0.004) were independent risk factors for lifetime diagnosis of AD ever. When history of home remodeling and FA were combined, the risk for moderate-to-severe AD by scoring atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) score increased (aOR, 7.19, P=0.011, P for interaction = 0.034). Conclusion. Home remodeling, lifetime diagnosis of FA, parental history of AD, and parental history of FA were independent risk factors for AD. In addition, we observed a synergistic interaction between home remodeling and FA in the risk of moderate-to-severe AD.