Self-reported hay fever diagnosis and associations with sociodemographic characteristics among adults and children in the United States

Abstract

Abstract Background Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) is a common condition that causes unpleasant respiratory symptoms. The objective of this cross-sectional study is to examine the trends of hay fever self-reported diagnosis among adults and children in the United States from 2013 to 2018 and its associations with sociodemographic characteristics. Survey data from the National Health Interview (NHIS) were used to identify children and adults with hay fever. Chi-square tests were used to evaluate the group differences by sociodemographic characteristics within each year examined. Trends in self-reported hay fever as well as trends for each sociodemographic characteristic over the study period were charted. Results All sociodemographic characteristics examined in both adults and children showed statistically significant group differences. Females were the highest risk sex group among adults while males were the highest risk sex group among children. Hay fever was more likely to be found among those with two or more races, non-Hispanics, those with higher education level and wealth, and residents from the western United States. Conclusions The findings of this study can help identify subpopulations at higher risk of hay fever, which can aid in developing targeted interventions to help individuals experiencing hay fever alleviate their symptoms and improve their quality of life.