Medicina

Summary Background: Many epidemiological studies have assessed the prevalence of respiratory allergic disorders in confined geographical locations. However, no study has yet established nationally prevalence data in a uniform manner representing whole countries and, thus, enabling cross-national comparisons. Methods: In 10 European countries, screening of random, representative samples of telephone numbers identified the target population aged 16–60. The inclusion criteria were a positive reporting of respiratory allergy to named allergens and, concomitantly, an unassisted description of appropriate symptoms. To obtain a truly representative, national prevalence of each country, the data were weighted against the actual sex and age composition. Results: 31,065 screening interviews were performed. The nationally balanced prevalence varied significantly among the 10 countries (Po0:001) from 11.7% in Spain to 33.6% in Italy. The overall weighted prevalence for Europe was 24.4%. Comparing males and females, overall, the odds-ratio was 0.874 (Po0:001). For age intervals of 16–29, 30–49, and 50–60 years, the odds-ratios for males were 1.104 (Po0:088), 0.827 (Po0:001), and 0.658 (Po0:001), respectively. The prevalence correlated inversely with age. Conclusions: Respiratory allergic disorders constitute a huge health problem in Europe, and the impact may be increasing as the prevalence is highest among young people.