Self-reported prevalence of allergies in the USA and impact on skin–an epidemiological study on a representative sample of american adults

Sophie Seité*, Alyce Mei Shiuan Kuo, Charles Taieb, Tamara Lazić Strugar, Peter Lio

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: The rising prevalence of allergies can substantially impact the skin, which is one of the largest targets for allergic and immunologic responses. Objective: Here, we describe the results of an online survey assessing self-reported allergy prevalence in Americans, outline the populations who report allergies, and characterize the skin conditions associated with allergy. Methods: An online survey was conducted in the USA of 2,008 adults as a representative sample of the general American population. Results: 41.7% of American adults (mean age 44.7 ± 15.3 years old) reported having allergies. Reported allergies included respiratory allergies (45.2%), skin allergies (41.4) and food allergies (33.9%). 47.7% of those who reported allergies also reported experiencing associated skin reactions. In addition, those who reported allergies were 2 to 4.5 times more likely to report a cutaneous skin disease, 7 times more likely to report sensitive skin, and twice as likely to report experiencing skin reactions when using skincare products compared to those who did not report allergies. Conclusions: It is estimated that over 100 million American adults have allergies. These results will help raise awareness about the burden of allergies and the need to develop solutions to mitigate their impact on health.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number3360
JournalInternational journal of environmental research and public health
Volume17
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2 2020

Funding

Funding: This work was supported by La Roche‐Posay Dermatological Laboratories, France. This work was supported by La Roche-Posay Dermatological Laboratories, France. The authors acknowledge the great technical support of G. Le Dantec and M. Fortuné.

Keywords

  • Allergies
  • Food allergy
  • Prevalence
  • Respiratory allergy
  • Skin allergy
  • Skin side effects

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Pollution
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

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