Association of antibiotics use in preschool age with atopic and allergic skin diseases in young adulthood: a population-based retrospective cohort study
Jie Li,
Bin Wu,
Yi Xiao,
Xiaohui Wang,
Juan Tao,
Xiang Chen,
Shijun Shan,
Juan Su,
Minxue Shen,
Yajia Li,
Danrong Jing,
Yuzhou Huang,
Ji Li,
Xiaojing Kang
Affiliations
Jie Li
Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Bin Wu
Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
Yi Xiao
4 Furong Laboratory, Changsha, Hunan, China
Xiaohui Wang
Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China
Juan Tao
Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Xiang Chen
Department of Dermatology; Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease; Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
Shijun Shan
Department of Dermatology, Xiang’an Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Juan Su
3 National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
Minxue Shen
3 National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
Yajia Li
Department of Dermatology; Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease; Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
Danrong Jing
1 Department of Dermatology | Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease | Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
Yuzhou Huang
Department of Dermatology; Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease; Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
Ji Li
School of Disaster and Emergency Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
Xiaojing Kang
Department of Dermatology, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, China
Background Overuse and misuse of antibiotics is a public health problem in low-income and middle-income countries. Although the association of antibiotics with atopic and allergic diseases has been established, most studies focused on prenatal exposure and the occurrence of disease in infants or young children.Objective To investigate the association of preschool use of antibiotics with atopic and allergic skin diseases in young adulthood.Design Population-based retrospective cohort.Setting and participants The first-year college students (n=20 123) from five universities were investigated. The sampled universities are located in Changsha, Wuhan, Xiamen, Urumqi and Hohhot, respectively.Methods We conducted a dermatological field examination and a questionnaire survey inquiring the participants about the frequency of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and the preschool antibiotics use (prior to 7 years old). The two-level probit model was used to estimate the associations, and adjusted risk ratio (aRR) and 95% CI were presented as the effect size.Results A total of 20 123 participants with complete information was included in the final analysis. The frequent antibiotics use intravenously (aRR 1.36, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.62) and orally (aRR 1.18, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.38) prior to 7 years old was significantly associated with atopic dermatitis in young adulthood. Similar trends could be observed in allergic skin diseases among those who use antibiotics orally and intravenously, with RRs of 1.16 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.34) and 1.33 (95% CI 1.13 to 1.57), respectively.Conclusions Preschool URTI and antibiotics use significantly increases the risk of atopic and allergic skin diseases in young adulthood.
