Rate of Childhood Peanut Allergies More than Tripled from 1997 to 2008:
FAI-Sponsored Study
The prevalence of peanut and tree nut allergies tripled in children in the United States between 1997 and 2008, according to an FAI-sponsored study conducted by Scott Sicherer, MD, and colleagues at Mount Sinai School of Medicine (New York, NY). The study was published in the June 2010 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the official journal of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. “Our research shows that more than 3 million Americans report peanut or tree nut allergies, representing a significant health burden,” said Dr. Sicherer. “The data also emphasize the importance of developing better prevention and treatment strategies.”
This is the third of a series of nationwide telephone surveys conducted at five-year intervals, beginning in 1997. The same methodology was used for each survey. The 2008 survey of 5,300 households (a total of 13,354 subjects) revealed that:
- 1.4% of children under 18 have a peanut allergy, up from 0.8% in 2002 and 0.4% in 1997
- 1.1% of children have a tree nut allergy, up 0.5% in 2002 and 0.2% in 1997
- There was no significant increase in peanut or tree nut allergy in adults
- 0.1% of children and adults have a sesame allergy
This was the first study to examine the prevalence of sesame allergy in the U.S. Reports of this allergy have increased in many countries, especially in the Middle East, where foods containing sesame are a dietary staple.
Researchers are not yet able to explain why peanut and tree nut allergies are on the rise in children. One possible explanation is the “hygiene hypothesis.” This theory states that, because of advances in hygiene, our immune system is no longer exposed to certain germs, so it attacks harmless proteins, such as food allergens, instead. Another explanation could be the popularity of roasted peanuts in the U.S. The roasting process appears to alter the peanut protein, making it more likely to trigger an allergy.
The authors caution that the study has limitations inherent to telephone surveys, which may over-represent households of high socioeconomic status because homes without telephones are excluded. There are also limitations in the self-reported nature of the survey, and identifying “true” allergy. However, the rate of childhood peanut allergy estimated in the current study is similar to results from studies using different methods in Canada, Australia and the U.K.
Read more about this study in the JACI Journal Club, the journal’s blog.