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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Jun 10.
Published in final edited form as: Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2018 Feb;8(2):108–352. doi: 10.1002/alr.22073

TABLE VI.F.

Evidence for the association between allergic rhinitis and socioeconomic factors

Study Year LOE Study design Study groups Clinical endpoint Conclusion
Grabenhenrich et al.613 2015 2b Prospective cohort Parental SES:
  1. Rich;

  2. Average;

  3. Poor

Diagnosis of AR by age 20 years No association between SES and diagnosis of AR.
Almqvist et al.611 2005 2b Prospective cohort Parental SES:
  1. Blue-collar workers;

  2. Low/intermediate white collar;

  3. One high level white collar; 4. Two high level white collar

Diagnosis of AR at 4 years old Parents of higher SES had children with a lower risk of AR, asthma, and food allergens.
Bergmann et al.610 2000 2b Prospective cohort Parental SES:
  1. High;

  2. Middle;

  3. Low

Diagnosis of AR parents and in children 3–6 years old Parental high SES correlated to high AR rates in parents; however, SES had no correlation with AR in children 3–6 years old.
Lewis & Britton608 1998 2b Prospective cohort Level of “social advantage”:
  1. Most disadvantaged;

  2. Disadvantaged;

  3. Average;

  4. Advantaged;

  5. Most advantaged

Diagnosis of hay fever at ages 5, 10, and 16 years Social advantage was significantly related to the diagnosis of AR with the “most advantaged” having the highest prevalence of AR.
Ahn et al.478 2016 4 Cross-sectional survey SES:
  1. Greater than average income;

  2. Less than average income

  1. Symptom-based AR;

  2. Allergy test–based AR

Significant association between higher SES and symptom-based AR; but no association between SES and allergy test–based AR.
Lee et al.615 2016 4 Cross-sectional survey Family affluence scale:
  1. Low;

  2. Middle;

  3. High

Diagnosis of AR in adolescents High Family Affluence Scale was associated with higher prevalence of AR.
Penaranda et al.616 2016 4 Cross-sectional survey SES:
  1. Low;

  2. Middle;

  3. High

Diagnosis of AR in children and adults Middle and high SES was associated with increased AR symptoms in children but not in adults.
Wronka et al.617 2016 4 Cross-sectional survey SES:
  1. High;

  2. Low

Diagnosis of AR in university students (ages 19–25 years) Higher proportion of AR in students from high SES compared to low.
Hammer-Helmich et al.612 2014 4 Cross-sectional survey Parental SES Diagnosis of AR in children 11–15 and 3–6 years old No association between household income and diagnosis of AR.
Braback et al.609 2005 4 Cross-sectional study High vs low SES Diagnosis of AR upon enrollment in military service In the 1950s, low SES and AR were inversely related, but this association significantly decreased by 1970.

AR = allergic rhinitis; LOE = level of evidence; SES = socioeconomic status.

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