Mediterranean diet is associated with reduced asthma and rhinitis in Mexican children

• Published in: Allergy Vol. 63; no. 10; pp. 1310 - 1316
• Main Authors: de Batlle, J, Garcia-Aymerich, J, Barraza-Villarreal, A, Antó, J.M, Romieu, I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2008; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Blackwell
• Subjects: Allergies; Asthma; Asthma - epidemiology; Asthma - prevention & control; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Children & youth; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dermatology; Diet; Diet, Mediterranean; epidemiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Humans; Medical sciences; Mexico; pediatrics; Pregnancy; Prenatal care; Prevalence; rhinitis; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial - epidemiology; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial - prevention & control; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; Central America; Mexico; America; Mexicali Mexico; Human; Lung disease; Allergy; Immunopathology; Pediatrics; Nose disease; Rhinitis; Respiratory disease; Dermatology; Mediterranean diet; Epidemiology; Asthma; Association; Immunology; ENT disease; Bronchus disease; Obstructive pulmonary disease; Child
• ISSN: 0105-4538; 1398-9995; 0108-1675
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2008.01722.x

Diet during pregnancy and childhood has been suggested to play an important role in children's asthma risk. We assessed whether the adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern, for children in the last 12 months and their mothers during pregnancy, was associated with both childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2004 using a random sample of 1476 children (6- to 7-year old) from the Mexicali region, Mexico. Dietary data of children's intake in the last 12 months and their mothers' intake during pregnancy was collected, through a parental food frequency questionnaire. A Mediterranean diet score was computed [Trichopoulou et al., N Engl J Med 348 (2003), 2599]. Data on seven asthma and rhinitis-related outcomes were obtained from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire. Adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern was inversely associated with asthma ever (OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.40-0.91), wheezing ever (0.64, 0.47-0.87), rhinitis ever (0.41, 0.22-0.77), sneezing ever (0.79, 0.59-1.07), current sneezing (0.71, 0.52-0.96) and current itchy-watery eyes (0.63, 0.42-0.95). No associations were found using the mothers' pregnancy diet score, except for current sneezing (0.71, 0.53-0.97). Our findings suggest a protective effect of following a healthy dietary pattern on asthma and allergic rhinitis in Mexican children.