Table 4.
Prevalence of sensitization to indoor and outdoor allergens among U.S. adult asthmatics, subjects aged 55 and older compared to younger adults aged 20–40 years
| Allergen-specific IgE | Percent (SE) sensitized ≥55 (N= 43) | Percent (SE) sensitized 20–40 (N= 108) | Adjusted OR (95% CI), ≥551 | Adjusted OR (95% CI), 20–401 | p-value2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor | |||||
| D. pteronyssinus | 36.3 (9.50) | 44.8 (6.52) | 4.09 (1.53–10.90) | 2.73 (1.55–4.81) | 0.301 |
| D. farinae | 27.9 (9.75) | 41.4 (7.09) | 2.35 (0.79–7.01) | 2.60 (1.43–4.73) | 0.796 |
| Cat | 26.9 (9.02) | 40.5 (7.62) | 3.33 (1.18–9.37) | 5.81 (2.91–11.60) | 0.261 |
| Dog | 24.4 (8.38) | 49.5 (6.90) | 4.46 (1.49–13.32) | 8.49 (4.11–17.53) | 0.457 |
| German cockroach | 10.5 (4.23) | 18.3 (4.77) | 1.14 (0.41–3.21) | 1.89 (0.87–4.10) | 0.734 |
| Rat | 0.0 (NA) | 3.5 (2.38) | 3 | 2.40 (0.40–14.59) | 3 |
| Mouse | 0.0 (NA) | 10.9 (4.19) | 3 | 8.03 (2.72–23.72) | 3 |
| ≥ 1 indoor | 50.2 (6.84) | 60.2 (5.73) | 3.12 (1.60–6.10) | 3.20 (1.88–5.45) | 0.754 |
| Outdoor | |||||
| Rye grass | 33.1 (8.40) | 42.1 (5.50) | 2.51 (1.41–4.48) | 2.51 (1.65–3.80) | 0.765 |
| Ragweed | 10.7 (4.83) | 31.9 (5.14) | 0.86 (0.35–2.11) | 1.98 (1.30–3.01) | 0.159 |
| Bermuda grass | 15.9 (7.37) | 29.4 (5.52) | 1.47 (0.51–4.26) | 1.93 (1.15–3.24) | 0.851 |
| Oak | 9.0 (4.34) | 24.0 (4.73) | 0.98 (0.39–2.45) | 2.11 (1.24–3.58) | 0.186 |
| Thistle | 9.5 (4.35) | 20.1 (4.37) | 1.26 (0.46–3.44) | 1.91 (1.06–3.44) | 0.692 |
| Birch | 11.7 (5.72) | 19.3 (4.75) | 1.37 (0.40–4.62) | 2.07 (1.06–4.04) | 0.642 |
| Alternaria alternata | 10.0 (5.30) | 27.7 (4.61) | 2.44 (0.72–8.26) | 3.63 (2.51–5.24) | 0.618 |
| Aspergillus fumigatus | 6.4 (3.33) | 17.1 (4.22) | 1.98 (0.68–5.83) | 2.71 (1.43–5.16) | 0.877 |
| ≥ 1 outdoor | 39.3 (8.07) | 53.3 (5.63) | 1.93 (1.02–3.66) | 2.32 (1.54–3.49) | 0.934 |
1
OR and confidence interval adjusted for sex, race/ethnicity, and education.
2
p-value for test of age group-by-sensitization interaction in adjusted logistic model of current asthma.
3
OR and p-value not reported due to zero cell count.