engleski

A comparison between occurence of allergic diseases and their relations with sensitivity on different types of aeroallergens in the area of Dubrovnik in periods before and during war in Croatia.

Allergy or over-sensitivity is the term that describes disorders caused by different immunological reactions. Allergens in the air (aeroallergens) are spread over large geographic areas in the air. The aim of this research is to compare relations between two types of allergic diseases (asthma, rhinitis), with three types of allergens: threes, grasses and weeds, in the area of Dubrovnik, in two different periods: before and during the war in Croatia. Objectives: finding frequency of the sensitivity on different aero- allergens for two types of allergic diseases, and finding differences in both periods ; finding correlations between sensitivity on allergens for each type of allergic diseases in both periods, according to three types of allergens ; trying to predict two types of allergic diseases with three types of allergens, in both periods. Method: The data were collected in the period from 1984 to 1996. in Dubrovnik. Subjects included were 1346 people from the area of Dubrovnik, 648 male and 698 female, of various age, who showed positive reactions on prick-tests and provocation tests. 573 subjects were tested in the period from 1984 to 1990, and 773 from 1991 to 1996. The results were analyzed using Microsoft Excel. For each period, average values for each variable were found, same as correlations. Average values were compared using t-test between each period, and complete regression analysis is used for prediction allergic diseases with three types of allergens, separately for two periods. Results: Parietaria is the most frequent cause of the allergic reactions and asthma is the most frequent allergic disease in the area of Dubrovnik, in both periods. Several statistically significant correlations between variables were found in both periods. Prediction of asthma and rhinitis is statistically significant mostly with “ tree” group of allergens. Numerous statistically significant differences between variables in two periods were found.

allergic diseases; aero-allergens; comparison; war; correlations; prediction

DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2006.06.004