Prevalence of Allergic Disorders among University Students in a Tertiary Institution in Nigeria

Background: Various epidemiological survey have reported an increase in allergic diseases all around the world. The urbanization and globalization in the developing countries have resulted in drastic environmental changes and increased allergens present in the environment. Nevertheless very few studies have been done on young adult Nigerians. Objective: This study aimed to find out the prevalence of allergic disorders (asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic dermatitis) among university students in Nigeria. Design: A prospective cross sectional study. Setting: Tertiary Institution. Methods: A self-administered structured questionnaire adapted from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey was used as research instrument for data collection. The demographic data and the allergy characteristics collected were analyzed using SPSS version 19. Results: A total of 746 students were included in the study with their ages ranging from 14 34years (mean +/SD=19+/-1.6years). There were 290 males and 456 females. Prevalence of wheeze within the past12 months and physician diagnosed asthma for this group of subjects was18.4% and 13.1% respectively. Prevalence of allergic rhinitis was 35.1% and of eczema was 15.3%. Presence of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis was significant risk factor for asthma. Family history of allergy was significantly associated with wheezing and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. Conclusion: This study shows that allergic rhinoconjunctivitis as a risk factor for asthma. There was a strong evidence of association between family history of allergy and these allergic disorders (asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis