FACTORS AFFECTING THE PREVALENCE OF ALLERGIC REACTIONS AMONG THE CHILDREN IN REGIONAL

ANGELES UNIVERSITY GRADUATE

SCHOOL

^PAGE

FACTORS AFFECTING THE PREVALENCE OF ALLERGIC REACTIONS AMONG THE CHILDREN IN REGIONAL

HEALTH UNIT II, PORAC, PAMPANGA

^:

IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of ^Graduate School ANGELES UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION

Angeles City

ln Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER IN PUBLIC HEALTH

By:

LEA ANNE D. BUCUD, BSMT,RMT

June ²⁰⁰⁶

THESIS ABSTRACT

Title:

'FACTORS AFFECTING THE PREVALENCE ^OF ALLERGIC REACTIONS AMONG CHILDREN IN REGIONAL HEALTH UNIT ll, PORAC, PAMPANGA: IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH'

1.

Total No.

ofPages :

¹¹⁴

2. Researcher :

LEA ANNE D. BUCUD

3.

Publication

1.

Date

:

^{June 9,2006}

2. Place :

AUF, Angeles Gity

3.

^Region

4.

lnstitution

5.

Subject Area

L

^Reference

2. Description

3. Degree Conferred

ilt

Angeles University Foundation

Public Health

Maste/s

Degree

6.

Specific Locations Where

Gopie

Gan be Found

Library Locality

^{Acc. No.}

6,1 AUF

Angeles Gity

6.2 HAU

Angeles City

ANGELES UNIVERSITY GRADUATE

SCHOOL

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7.

Rationale/Background:

ln the

beginning mankind

was

believed

to have an

^existing

resistance mechanisms that protect against the unseen agents of infection and inflammation. Over the past two hundred years, particularly the ^last

twenty years, the

resistance mechanisms

have been

documented, explained and visualized. lt was then known that the immune system has the ability to recognize non-self from self for the purpose of survival. The thorough recognition of non-self became the basis of allergic diseases ⁱⁿ wtrich

the body tends to react and

promote adverse

health

^effects resulting

from

hypersensitivity caused

by

exposure

to an

exogenous antigen known as allergen (Shearer,1996).

Allergic diseases are manifested

as

hyper responsiveness

of

the target organ whether skin, nose, lungs and gastrointestinal

tract.

The hypersensitivity

may either be

lmmunoglobulin

E

mediated

and

non lmmunoglobulin

E

mediated components (Durham et.al,

2001).

These diseases

are

classified acmrding

to the

causative substances and the resulting signs

and symptoms. The

causative substances categories include ingestants, inhalants, contactants, injectants, infectants, ^physical

agents, organs, and hormones. The next category is ^defined

^by

symptoms consisting

of

asthma, hay fever

or

rhinitis

and skin

allergy

manifested by eczema, hives, rashes, headache and migraine, ^stomach upset chronic fatigue and depression (Cutler, ^1998).

Allergic reactions

are

@mmon

nowadays. The

three types of allergic reactions affecting young children worldwide were asthma, ^rhinitis and skin

allergy.

Series

of

cases had been reported and it was noted worldwide

that

about ^80-90o/o

of the total

population

of

children were affected by the rising incidence

of

asthma (Ciria cruz, 2002), about ^75- 80% were known to have rhinitis and an estimated ⁶⁰⁴ to ^8o/o of children younger than four years of age, that ^is approximately 2o/o of United States population

were affeded by food

allergy manifested

by skin

allergy (Sampson,2AA2). The prevalence of allergic reaction peaks and continues

to

heighten as years pass hence contributing

to

the caused

of

mortality and morbidity rate among children worldwide.

There has been

an

increasing number

of

allergens encountered

nowadays.

These substances

can be seen

either from

the

external surroundings

or

even

in the household. ln the

Philippine setting, the probable

reason of the rising

prevalence

of allergic

reaction

is

^an

increased probability of contact with etiologic agent such as dust, pollen and other inhalant which u/ere

of

perennial occurrence (Bayudan ^et.al., 1e80).

ANGELES UNIVERSITY GRADUATE

SCHOOL

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The growing prevalence

of

allergic reactions among children as well

as

adults creates

the

need

to

understand aspects

of

allergy

as

^it occurs

in the household.

These aspects include factors affecting the prevalence of allergic reaction among the children in Regional Health Unit ll, Porac, Pampanga. The author described and assessed the ^prevalence

of allergic reaction in terms of the children's profiles,

physical, environmental

and

^genetic

factors in ^order to

^generate information regarding the possible factors affecting

the

increasing prevalence of the aforementioned

cases and thereby provides guidelines in

^the

establishment of health program regarding management, prevention ^and control of allergic reaction in Regional Health Unit ll, Porac, Pampanga.

8.

Statement of the Problem

The study is an attempt to describe and assess the prevalence of allergic reactions among children

in

Regional Health

Unit ll at

^Porac,

Pampanga and to determine its implications for Public Health.

Specifically, it answered the following ^questions:

1.

How may

the

^profile

of the

children

be descri$d in

terms

of

the following:

1.1

incidence according ^to.

1.1-1 age of the child