ALLERGIC DISEASE AMONG IMMIGRANT CHILDREN IN A SWEDISH METROPOLITAN AREA

As part of a survey of the indoor climate in all schools in Stockholm, a standardised questionnaire (MM 080 NA) was sent to the parents of all children in 20 primary schools in an immigration district. The children were in the age bracket of 6 to 12 years old. The filled-in questionnaires were returned by 4,214 of the parents (response rate 63%). Official statistics describing the population, including data about immigrant status, were collected. In a subsample of 11 schools, the relation between immigration status and the factor “born abroad” was analysed. The cumulative incidence rate and one-year prevalence of asthma and eczema were found to be significantly lower children who were born abroad compared with children who were born in Sweden. This was observed also in schools where the immigrant frequency was higher than 95% and in the analyses of the sub-sample after controlling for immigrant status. No significant differences were seen for hay fever, infection symptoms or symptoms often attributed to insufficiencies in the indoor climate (SBS-symptoms). The home environments differed notably between immigrant homes and native homes. Immigrant children lived in multi-family buildings to a greater extent and had more siblings, while having furred pets or birds at home to a lesser extent. They were furthermore more exposed to environmental tobacco smoke in their homes. In conclusion, asthma and eczema – but nor hay fever, infectious symptoms or SBS-symptoms – were significantly less frequent among children born abroad compared to children born in Sweden, also after controlling for immigrant status.