LONG-TERM EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TRENDS IN THE DYNAMICS OF ALLERGIC RHINITIS AND ATOPIC DERMATITIS IN CHILDREN

Background. Allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis are common allergic diseases in children. Analysis of the incidence and trends of allergic diseases development is necessary for successful solving the problem of morbidity, helping the child population at the regional level, disease forecasting and control. Purpose of the study. To study the long-term dynamics of the main epidemiological indicators of the general and primary incidence of allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis in the child population of the Grodno region. Material and methods. Retrospective analysis of indicators of general and primary incidence of allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis in the child population of the Grodno region was performed. The study periods were 1999-2023 years (children aged 0-14 years old) and 2008-2023 years (children aged 15-17 years old). Results. The average long-term age-standardized overall morbidity rate of allergic rhinitis in children aged 0-14 years old was 266.89 (95% CI: 238.33-295.47), the primary morbidity rate was 67.67 (95% CI: 57.36-77.9) per 100,000 children of the corresponding age. The average long-term overall incidence rate of allergic rhinitis in children aged 15-17 years (2008-2023) was 791.97 (95% CI: 680.79-903.14), the primary incidence rate was 113.73 (95% CI: 92.84- 134.61) per 100,000 children of the same age. The average long-term age-standardized rate of overall incidence of atopic dermatitis in children aged 0-14 years old was 872.89 (95% CI: 825.27-919.782) per 100,000 children of the corresponding age, the primary incidence rate was 459.1 (95% CI: 399. 96-518.24) per 100,000 children of the same age. The average long-term overall incidence rate of atopic dermatitis in children aged 15-17 years was 415.68 (95% CI: 377.63-453.73), the primary incidence rate was 143.88 (95% CI: 120.53-167.23) per 100,000 child population of the corresponding age. The long-term epidemic dynamics of allergic rhinitis was characterized by a moderately pronounced tendency towards an increase in the overall incidence rate among children aged 0-14 years old (average growth (decrease) rate = +2.4%) and 15-17 years old (average growth (decrease) rate = +3.62 %) as well as stabilization of the primary morbidity rate in children aged 0-14 years old (average growth (decrease) rate = -0.67%) and 15-17 years old (average growth (decrease) rate = +0.72%). The long-term epidemic dynamics of atopic dermatitis was characterized by a moderately pronounced tendency towards a decrease in the overall morbidity rate for children aged 0-14 years old (average growth (decrease) rate = -1.57%) and an increase in the morbidity rate for children of 15-17 years old (average growth (decrease) rate = +2.1%). There also was a pronounced downward trend in the primary morbidity rate of children aged 0-14 years old (average growth (decrease) rate = -5.42%) and children aged 15-17 years old (average growth (decrease) rate = -5.89%). The cartograms of the territorial distribution of incidence rates of allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis in the child population of the Grodno region in the periods 1999-2023 (0-14 years old) and 2008-2023 (15-17 years old) are presented. Conclusions. The reasons for the established patterns of changes in the incidence of allergic diseases in children of different age groups, as well as those living in different territories, are most likely due to the influence of environmental and socio-economic factors. The presented cartograms make it possible to visualize the incidence rates of allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis in individual territorial and administrative regions of the region.