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 and Peter Lio
Additional contact information
Sophie Seité: La Roche-Posay Dermatological Laboratories, 92300 Levallois-Perret, France
Alyce Mei-Shiuan Kuo: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
Charles Taieb: European Market Maintenance Assessment, 94120 Fontenay-sous-Bois, France
Tamara Lazić Strugar: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
Peter Lio: Medical Dermatology Associates of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60654, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 10, 1-9

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 2008 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.

Keywords: allergies; food allergy; skin allergy; respiratory allergy; prevalence; skin side effects (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:10:p:3360-:d:357118

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