An Epidemiological Assessment of Food Allergy Prevalence in Basrah, Iraq: Analyzing Demographic Patterns and Clinical Significance

Food allergy (FA) is an undesirable, immunologically mediated adverse reaction to a food or its components, affecting individuals of all ages worldwide. This study aimed to assess the distribution of food allergies among patients attending a specialist clinic in Basrah city, Iraq, with a focus on age and gender patterns. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at the Allergy and Asthma Center in Basrah between February and May ۲۰۲۴. Data from ۹۶ patients who self-reported adverse reactions to foods were analyzed. Patient age, sex, and the most commonly reported allergenic foods were recorded. All ۹۶ participants reported allergies to multiple food items. The most frequently reported allergens were rice (F۹), egg yolk (Fx۷۵), apple (F۴۹), and tomato (F۲۵). Younger age groups were more commonly affected. Regarding gender differences, males showed a higher frequency of allergy to marine fish (FX۷۷) and tomato (F۲۵) compared to females. While the study does not provide a population-based prevalence estimate for Basrah city due to the single-center, self-selected sample, the findings indicate a substantial burden of self-reported food allergy in this clinical population. Common allergens included rice, yolk, tomato, egg, and apple. No overall gender difference was observed for most allergens; however, male predominance was noted specifically for marine fish and tomato allergies. The study confirms that age and gender significantly influence the distribution of specific food allergies in this clinical cohort.

کلیدواژه ها:

Food allergy ، Basra ، Cross-sectional study ، gender differences ، Age Distribution ، allergenic foods