Journal of food science and technology(Iran)

Journal of food science and technology(Iran)

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

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Rana Dawood Salman Al-Kamil 1
CH. Al-Bahadily CH. Al-Bahadily 1
Maha Abood Hasani 2
H. N.K. AL-Salman 3
1 Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Basrah, Iraq.
2 Basrah Health Department / Al-Zubair General Hospital.
3 Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Basrah, Iraq.
10.48311/fsct.2026.119060.83041
Abstract
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 2024. Data from 96 patients who self-reported adverse reactions to foods were analyzed. Patient age, sex, and the most commonly reported allergenic foods were recorded. All 96 participants reported allergies to multiple food items. The most frequently reported allergens were rice (F9), egg yolk (Fx75), apple (F49), and tomato (F25). Younger age groups were more commonly affected. Regarding gender differences, males showed a higher frequency of allergy to marine fish (FX77) and tomato (F25) 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.
Keywords
Food allergy
Basra
cross-sectional study
gender differences
age distribution
allergenic foods
Subjects
[1]         Grundy J, Matthews S, Bateman B, Dean T, Arshad SH. Rising prevalence of allergy to peanut in children: data from 2 sequential cohorts. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2002;110(5):784-9.
[2]         Sicherer SH, Sampson HA. Food allergy: recent advances in pathophysiology and treatment. Annu Rev Med. 2019;60:261-77.
[3]         Kelly C, Gangur V. Sex disparity in food allergy: evidence from the PubMed database. J Allergy (Cairo). 2009;2009:159845.
[4]         Ahmed EM, Hussein TA, Barkhas SA. The role of IL-4, IL-10 and specific IgE in a sample of Iraqi food allergy patients. Plant Arch. 2021;21(1):1521-6.
[5]         Feng H, Liu Y, Xiong X, Xu Q, Zhang Z, Wu Y, et al. Epidemiological survey of self-reported food allergy among university students in China. Medicine (Baltimore). 2022;101(31):e29606.
[6]         Yu W, Freeland DM, Nadeau KC. Food allergy: immune mechanisms, diagnosis and immunotherapy. Nat Rev Immunol. 2016;16(12):751-65.
[7]         Sicherer SH, Warren CM, Dant C, Gupta RS, Nadeau KC. Food allergy from infancy through adulthood. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2020;8(6):1854-64.
[8]         Becklake MR, Kauffmann F. Gender differences in airway behaviour over the human life span. Thorax. 1999;54(12):1119-38.
[9]         Carey MA, Card JW, Voltz JW, Arbes SJ Jr, Germolec DR, Korach KS, et al. It's all about sex: gender, lung development and lung disease. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2007;18(8):308-13.
[10]      DunnGalvin A, Hourihane JO, Frewer L, Knibb RC, Oude Elberink JN, Klinge I. Incorporating a gender dimension in food allergy research: a review. Allergy. 2006;61(11):1336-43.
[11]      Agarwal AK, Shah A. Menstrual-linked asthma. J Asthma. 1997;34(6):539-45.
[12]      Pali-Schöll I, Jensen-Jarolim E. Gender aspects in food allergy. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2019;19(3):249-55.
[13]      Bender AE, Matthews R. Adverse reactions to foods. Br J Nutr. 1981;46(3):403-7.
[14]      Metcalfe DD, Sampson HA, Simon RA, editors. Food allergy: adverse reactions to foods and food additives. 4th ed. Malden (MA): Blackwell Publishing; 2008.