The Score for Allergic Rhinitis study in Turkey, 2020

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine how prevalent allergic rhinitis (AR) is in Turkey\rand to compare the current prevalence with the figures obtained 10 years earlier.\rMethods: This study included 9,017 participants. The minimum number of participants\rrequired from each center was determined via a stratified sampling technique according\rto regional demographic characteristics as ascertained from the last census. For each region,\rboth men and women were administered the score for allergic rhinitis (SFAR) questionnaire\rand a score for each participant was calculated based on the responses supplied.\rResults: A total of 9,017 individuals (55.3% men and 44.7% women) took part in this\rstudy. Of these, 94.4% were urban residents and 5.6% lived in a rural setting. Of the\rmen, 38.5% self-reported as suffering from AR. The corresponding figure in women\rwas 40.5%. The overall prevalence of AR, as deduced on the basis of the SFAR, was\rfound to be 36.7%. Comparing the prevalence in different regions, we found that AR\rwas the least prevalent in the Black Sea region with a frequency of 35.8%. The highest\rprevalence was in the Mediterranean region, where the prevalence was 37.7%. There\rwas no statistical significance in the apparent differences in prevalence between different\rgeographical regions. Despite this, however, there was a clear increase in the\rfrequency of AR over the preceding decade. This increase was most pronounced in the\rSouth-Eastern Anatolian region, where the frequency rose from 21.0% to 36.9%.\rConclusion: Our results indicate that there has been a marked increase in the prevalence\rof AR in every region in Turkey over the last 10 years. This could be related to living\rconditions in urban environments. Alterations in lifestyle, urban living, air pollution\rcausing impairments in immune defense mechanisms, and other aspects of modern\rlifestyles may account for the increase in AR in Turkey.