Associations of Food Allergy and Other Allergic Conditions with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in US Children (P16-032-19)

Abstract

Objectives Association between allergic conditions and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is still debated. Although there are several studies confirmed associations between ADHD and allergic rhinitis and asthma, little is known about the association between food allergy and ADHD. We examined the association of food allergy and other allergic conditions with ADHD in US children. Methods We analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a nationally representative annual survey of US population. We included 192,349 children aged 4-17 years old among NHIS participants from 1997 to 2017. Food allergy, respiratory allergy, skin allergy, and ADHD was defined based on an affirmative response in the questionnaire. Logistic regression with sample weights was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of ADHD. Results The prevalence of ADHD was higher among children with allergic conditions: 12.64% versus 7.98% among children with and without food allergy (P < 0.001); 12.17% versus 7.62% among children with and without respiratory allergy; and 11.42% versus 7.8% among children with and without skin allergy. After adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, family highest education level, family income level, geographical region, and mutually for other allergic conditions, the OR of ADHD was 1.52 (1.38-1.69) (P < 0.001) among children with versus without food allergy, 1.42 (1.34-1.50) (P < 0.001) among children with versus without respiratory allergy, and 1.57 (1.48-1.68) (P < 0.001) among children with versus without skin allergy. Conclusions In a nationally representative sample of US children, we found a significant and positive association of common allergic conditions, in particular food allergy, with ADHD. Funding Sources None.