Association between air pollution and the prevalence of allergic rhinitis in Chinese children: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common chronic inflammatory disease with bothersome symptoms. However, the effect of air pollution on the prevalence of AR in children is controversial. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between air pollution and the prevalence of AR in Chinese children. Methods: This study, in China, included 160,356 students ages 0‐18 years who completed a questionnaire about the accuracy of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). The effect of different air pollutants on the prevalence rate were evaluated by meta-analysis. Also, it evaluated the effect of different air pollutants on the prevalence rate. Results: The differences in the effects of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) exposure (combined odds ratio [OR combined ] 1.03 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.01‐1.05]; p = 0.010) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) exposure (OR combined 1.11 [95% CI, 1.05‐1.18]; p = 0.0006) on the risk of childhood AR was statistically significant. The effect of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter of <10 μm (PM 10 ) exposure on the risk of childhood AR was statistically significant (OR combined 1.02 [95% CI, 1.01‐1.03]; p < 0.001), the effect of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter of <2.5 μm (PM 2.5 ) exposure on the risk of childhood AR was statistically significant (OR combined 1.15 [95% CI, 1.03‐1.29]; p = 0.02), and the effect of ozone exposure on the risk of childhood AR was not statistically significant (OR combined 0.98 [95% CI, 0.67‐1.41]; p = 0.13). Conclusion: NO 2 , SO 2 , PM 2.5, and PM 10 were associated with the prevalence of AR in Chinese children. PM 2.5 had the highest correlation with AR prevalence.