Table 2.
Physical and environmental characteristics of children included in the follow-up study
| Children without allergies (n = 202) | Children with allergies (n = 71) | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male, n (%) | 97 (48.02) | 38 (53.52) | 0.49 |
| Body weight at 3 years of age, g (SEM) | 15.1 (3.47) | 16.7 (4.21) | 0.14 |
| Height at 3 years of age, cm (IQR) | 97.6 (92.1–111.6) | 97.4 (91.8–107.2) | 0.58 |
| Allergic diseases during 0–3 years of age, n (%) | |||
| All allergies [sIgE (+)] | 0 (0) | 71 (100) | |
| Wheezing | 0 (0) | 19 (26.76) | |
| Allergic rhinitis | 0 (0) | 50 (70.42) | |
| Allergic eczema | 0 (0) | 47 (66.19) | |
| Maternal allergic history, n (%) | 62 (30.69) | 38 (53.52) | 0.001 |
| Average composition in dust from children’s bedrooms | |||
| Endotoxin, EU/mg (IQR) | 13.65 (3.51–45.78) | 11.65 (2.78–39.44) | 0.05 |
| β (1,3)-glucans, μg/mg (IQR) | 2.67 (0.54–7.45) | 2.19 (0.51–5.56) | 0.21 |
| Pet exposure, n (%) | 5 (2.47) | 0 (0) | 0.33 |
| Air conditioner exposure, n (%) | 22 (10.89) | 9 (12.68) | 0.54 |
| Breast fed, n (%) | 135 (66.83) | 50 (70.42) | 0.66 |
| Respiratory virus infections, n (%) | |||
| < 3 per year | 139 (68.81) | 47 (66.20) | 0.44 |
| 3–5 per year | 35 (17.33) | 14 (19.72) | 0.28 |
| > 5 per year | 28 (13.86) | 10 (14.08) | 0.54 |
| Low household income, n (%) | 92 (45.54) | 26 (36.62) | 0.21 |
| Low parental education (middle school and lower), n (%) | 35 (17.33) | 12 (16.90) | 1.0 |
| Co-habitation with a smoker, n (%) | 10 (4.95) | 3 (4.23) | 1.0 |
Data in boldface are significant with P ≤ 0.05. Data were reported as either the mean (SEM) or median (IQR) depending on the data distribution