An increased prevalence of self‐reported allergic rhinitis in major Chinese cities from 2005 to 2011

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background</jats:title><jats:p>The prevalence of allergic rhinitis (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content>) has increased worldwide in recent decades. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of self‐reported <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content> and profiles of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content>‐related comorbidities in the adult population of China over time.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>This study surveyed residents of 18 major cities in mainland China. Telephone interviews were conducted with study participants after sampling target telephone numbers by random digit dialing. The questions asked during telephone interviews were based on those included in validated questionnaires and focused on topics regarding <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content>, nonallergic rhinitis (NAR), acute/chronic rhinosinusitis (ARS/CRS), asthma, and atopic dermatitis (AD).</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>During 2011, a total of 47 216 telephone interviews were conducted, and the overall response rate was 77.5%. When compared with the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content> prevalence in 11 cities surveyed in 2005, there was a significant increase in self‐reported adult <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content> in eight of those cities (<jats:italic>P </jats:italic><<jats:italic> </jats:italic>0.01). In 2011, the standardized prevalence of self‐reported adult <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content> in the 18 cities was 17.6%. The concentration of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SO</jats:styled-content><jats:sub>2</jats:sub> was positively correlated with the prevalence of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content> (<jats:italic>r</jats:italic> = 0.504, <jats:italic>P </jats:italic>=<jats:italic> </jats:italic>0.033). A multiple regression model showed that the absolute change in household yearly income was significantly associated with the change in the prevalence of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content> (<jats:italic>R</jats:italic><jats:sup>2</jats:sup> = 0.68), after adjusting for <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PM</jats:styled-content><jats:sub>10</jats:sub>, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SO</jats:styled-content><jats:sub>2</jats:sub>, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">NO</jats:styled-content><jats:sub>2,</jats:sub> temperature, and humidity. The overall prevalences of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">NAR</jats:styled-content>,<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case"> ARS</jats:styled-content>,<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case"> CRS</jats:styled-content>, asthma, and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AD</jats:styled-content> in the general population were 16.4%, 5.4%, 2.1%, 5.8%, and 14%, respectively.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title><jats:p>During a 6‐year period, there was a significant increase in the prevalence of self‐reported <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content> in the general Chinese adult population. The incidence of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content> being accompanied by rhinosinusitis, asthma, or <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AD</jats:styled-content> was significantly higher among individuals having self‐reported <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content> compared with the general population.</jats:p></jats:sec>