Subjects
A total of 618 children (7 years-old) from 11 randomly selected
elementary schools in Seongnam City (Korea) were enrolled between June
and July 2016. Each participant’s parents were asked to respond to the
questionnaires prior to a physical examination and blood sampling. 408
children (66.0%) responded to the questionnaire and 305 (74.8%) agreed
to the blood test. Thus, 248 children who provided questionnaire data,
skin prick test (SPT) results, and blood samples participated in the
study.
Study protocol
Pediatric allergy specialists and trained field technicians performed
the physical examinations, SCORAD score assessments,15SPTs, and collected blood samples. The presence of current atopic
dermatitis was diagnosed using the International Study of Asthma and
Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire,16 based
on symptoms during the previous 12 months. The study protocol was
approved by the Institutional Review Board of CHA University
(2016-04-031) and written informed consent documents were obtained from
all parents or guardians of children who participated.