Food allergies among Japanese school kids up 1.8 points from fiscal 2013

Jul 10, 2023 | News On Japan

Jul 10, 2023 (Japan Today) - A study carried out in fiscal 2022 showed 6.3 percent of school children in Japan suffer from food allergies, an increase of 1.8 percentage points in around nine years, with the rate of severe allergic reactions, or anaphylaxis, also on the rise.

The latest survey by the Japan Society of School Health showed public elementary, junior high and high schools were aware of 526,705 children who had some form of food allergy, up from 4.5 percent in the previous study in fiscal 2013. Only 2.4 percent reported allergies in fiscal 2004.

Medical experts said the rising trend may be attributable to the more widespread prevalence of hay fever, as people who are affected tend to develop fruit allergies.

Allergy sufferers who had an episode of anaphylactic shock made up 0.6 percent in fiscal 2022, up from the previous 0.48 percent.

The most commonly reported food allergies in a multiple choice question were chicken eggs at 25.8 percent, followed by fruit at 25.0 percent and shellfish at 14.9 percent. ...continue reading

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