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Climate and prevalence of atopic eczema in 6- to 7-year-old school children in Spain. ISAAC PhASE III

International Journal of Biometeorology volume 52, pages 833–840 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Atopic eczema (AE) is a chronic skin disease. Recent reports indicate that the worldwide prevalence of AE is increasing and that various environmental factors are implicated in its aetiology. Climatic conditions have been related with AE prevalence, and Spain has varying climatic conditions. The aim of this study is to document the possible climatic influence on the prevalence of AE in schoolchildren aged 6–7 years in three different climatic regions in Spain. We conducted a cross-sectional population-based survey of 28,394 schoolchildren aged 6–7 years from 10 Spanish centres in three different climatic regions. The mean participation rate was 76.5%. AE prevalence was assessed using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire and the Spanish Academy of Dermatology criteria used in Spain to diagnose AE. The data, including annual temperature, precipitation, relative humidity and the annual number of sunny hours per climatic region, were obtained from the Spanish National Institute of Meteorology. Different AE prevalences were found in all three climatic regions studied: Atlantic, 32.9; Mediterranean 28.3; and Continental 31.2 per 100 children studied (p < 0.005). AE was positively associated with precipitation and humidity, and was negatively associated with temperature and the number of sunny hours. The results show that AE is significantly dependent on meteorological conditions.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumption, the Institute of Health Carlos III, the Network of Centres (RCESP), the Oscar Rava Foundation 2001, Barcelona, the Department of Health of the Regional Government of Navarre, the International Luis Vives Rotary Foundation 2002–2003, Valencia, the Department of Health of the Regional Government of Murcia, and AstraZeneca, Spain. Thank to all the parents who kindly participated and gave us some of their time. Finally, we thank the native translator who revised this article.

The members of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) in Spain are: L García-Marcos (coordinator), A Martínez Torres, JJ Guillén Pérez, V Pérez Fernández (Cartagena, coordinating centre); J Batlles Garrido, T Rubí Ruiz, A Bonillo Perales, MM Sánchez Gutiérrez, B Chamizo Moreno, J Momblan de Cabo, R Jiménez Liria, J Aguirre Rodríguez, A Losilla Maldonado, M Torres Daza (Almería); I Carvajal Urueña, C Díaz Vázquez, C Díez Fernández, A García Merino, B Domínguez Aurrecoechea, M Marcilla Escotet, MO Díez Fernández, I Huerta González (Asturias); RM Busquets Monge, O Vall Combelles (Barcelona); C González Díaz, A González Hermosa, N Garcia Perez, M Ferrez Arriazu, M Villar Alvarez (Bilbao); A Arnedo-Pena, A Artero, JB Bellido, JB Campos, Ma L Museros, Ma R Pac, J Puig (Castellón); A López-Silvarrey Varela (La Coruña); G García Hernández, A Marínez Gimeno, C Luna Paredes, AL Moro Rodríguez, I González Gil (Madrid); F Guillén, I Aguinaga, B Marín, C Brun, J Hermoso, I Serrano, M Fernández, J de Irala, MA Martínez (Pamplona); EG Pérez-Yarza, P Gomez-Cabanillas, N García de Andoin, I Miner Canflanc (San Sebastián), MM Morales Suarez-Varela, A Llopis González, MC Jiménez López, M Gracia Antequera (Valencia); A Blanco Quirós, J Castrodeza Sanz, S Marín Urueña, E Burgueño Sánchez-Taiz (Valladolid).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Public Health, Hygiene, and Environmental care. Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    María Morales Suárez-Varela & Agustín Llopis González

  2. Research group CIBER CB06/02/0045, CIBER actions - Epidemiology and Public Health, Valencia, Spain

    María Morales Suárez-Varela & Agustín Llopis González

  3. Research Foundation. Hospital Universitario “Dr. Peset”, Valencia, Spain

    María Morales Suárez-Varela

  4. Unit of Clinical Research, Cartagena and Department of Paediatrics, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain

    Luís García-Marcos Alvarez

  5. HRSA. Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Rockville, USA

    Michael D. Kogan

  6. Section of Paediatric Pneumo-Allergy, Hospital Infantil 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain

    Antonio Martínez Gimeno

  7. Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarre, Navarre, Spain

    Inés Aguinaga Ontoso

  8. Department of Paediatrics, Hospital of Basurto, Bilbao, Spain

    Carlos González Díaz

  9. Section of Epidemiology. Centre of Public Health, Regional Ministry of Health, Castellón, Castellón, Spain

    Alberto Arnedo Pena

  10. Health Centre of Otero – Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain

    Begoña Domínguez Aurrecoechea

  11. Department of Paediatrics, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain

    Rosa María Busquets Monge

  12. Department of Paediatrics, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain

    Alfredo Blanco Quiros

  13. Department of Paediatrics, Hospital Torrecárdenas, Almería, Spain

    José Batlles Garrido

  14. Department of Paediatrics, Hospital de Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain

    Iñaqui Miner Canflanca

  15. Foundation María José Jove, A Coruña, Spain

    Ángel López-Silvarrey Varela

  16. Unidad de Salud Pública, Higiene y Sanidad Ambiental, Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Avd. Vicente Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100, Burjassot (Valencia), Spain

    María Morales Suárez-Varela

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  1. María Morales Suárez-Varela
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  2. Luís García-Marcos Alvarez
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Correspondence to María Morales Suárez-Varela.

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Suárez-Varela, M.M., García-Marcos Alvarez, L., Kogan, M.D. et al. Climate and prevalence of atopic eczema in 6- to 7-year-old school children in Spain. ISAAC PhASE III. Int J Biometeorol 52, 833–840 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-008-0177-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-008-0177-0

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