Table 2.
Frequencies of symptoms and atopy in 6821 schoolchildren living in urban and rural areas of Esmeraldas Province
| Variable | Urban (n=2526) | Rural (n=4295) | OR (95% CI) | p Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % | n | % | |||
| Wheeze | ||||||
| Wheeze ever | 801 | 32.7 | 1362 | 32.7 | 0.97 (0.87 to 1.09) | 0.64 |
| Recent wheeze | 231 | 9.4 | 421 | 10.1 | 0.84 (0.71 to 1.00) | 0.05 |
| Rhinitis | ||||||
| Rhinitis ever | 489 | 19.5 | 553 | 13.1 | 1.57 (1.37 to 1.80) | <0.001 |
| Recent rhinitis | 203 | 8.1 | 270 | 6.4 | 1.25 (1.03 to 1.52) | 0.02 |
| Eczema | ||||||
| Eczema ever | 323 | 12.9 | 358 | 8.4 | 1.57 (1.33 to 1.84) | <0.001 |
| Recent eczema | 146 | 5.9 | 199 | 4.7 | 1.24 (1.00 to 1.56) | 0.06 |
| Skin prick test reactivity | ||||||
| Any allergen | 246 | 10.0 | 515 | 12.5 | 0.85 (0.72 to 1.01) | 0.06 |
| House dust mite | 185 | 7.6 | 281 | 6.8 | 1.19 (0.97 to 1.44) | 0.09 |
| Mixed grass | 27 | 1.1 | 76 | 1.8 | 0.68 (0.43 to 1.07) | 0.10 |
| American cockroach | 55 | 2.2 | 185 | 4.5 | 0.54 (0.40 to 0.74) | <0.001 |
| Mixed fungi | 10 | 0.4 | 18 | 0.4 | 1.31 (0.58 to 2.94) | 0.52 |
| Alternaria tenuis | 3 | 0.1 | 8 | 0.2 | 0.67 (0.17 to 2.60) | 0.456 |
| Cat | 8 | 0.3 | 17 | 0.4 | 0.84 (0.36 to 1.98) | 0.69 |
| Dog | 6 | 0.2 | 68 | 1.7 | 0.15 (0.07 to 0.35) | <0.001 |
ORs and 95% CIs show urban and rural comparisons adjusted for age and sex.
Numbers in bold represent p<0.05.
Recent represents symptoms within the previous 12 months.
Eczema was defined by an itchy rash with a flexural distribution and rhinitis by nasal stuffiness/sneezing with itchy eyes.