[Prevalence of self-reported food allergy and food intolerance and their associated factors in 3 - 12 year-old children in 9 areas in China].

OBJECTIVE: To measure the prevalence and the associated factors of food allergy and food intolerance in 3 - 12 year-old children in 9 areas in China. METHOD: 1792 children selected by multistage cluster sampling method from 7 cities and 2 rural areas, from November 2011 to April 2012, with a face-to-face survey to children and their parents, and the logistic regression was used to analyze the associated factors of food allergy and food intolerance of children. RESULTS: The prevalence of self-reported food allergy and food intolerance were 8. 4% and 7. 7%, respectively. The common foods led to food allergy reported by children's parents were seafood, fish, egg, fruit and milk. The parental allergy was risk factors of food allergy of children (OR = 4. 49 (95% CI 2. 52 - 8. 01), P <0. 01). The picky eating was risk factor of food intolerance of children(OR = 2. 40(95% CI 1. 43 - 4. 02), P < 0. 01). And the education of mother was protective factor of food intolerance of children (the mother with college degree and above relative to with middle school degree and below (OR = 0. 40 (95% CI 0. 20 - 0. 80), P = 0. 01). CONCLUSION: Children' s food allergy and food intolerance were associated with genetic factors and environmental factors included parental education and family economic status. Variable foods were necessary for children' s growth and development, therefore, it is demanded to conduct intervention studies based on the associated factors.