Severe Allergic Rhinitis symptoms may worsen Academic Productivity

Academic productivity is worsened by allergy symptoms and allergic rhinitis in young individuals as per a recent study that was published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. 

Literature shows that having allergic rhinitis affects the academic productivity of an individual. But large studies with real-world data (RWD) is lacking. Hence researchers conducted a study using the RWD to assess the impact of allergic rhinitis on academic performance, and also to identify factors associated with it. 

For this study, data from the MASK-air mHealth app of users aged 13 to 29 years with allergic rhinitis was taken. Academic performance was measured through a visual analog scale education and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire plus Classroom Impairment Questions like the Allergy Specific [WPAI+CIQ: AS] questionnaire. The correlation between variables like VAS education, WPAI+CIQ: AS impact of allergy symptoms on academic performance, and WPAI+CIQ: AS percentage of education hours lost due to allergies and other variables was assessed. Along with these, factors associated with the impact of allergic symptoms on academic productivity through multivariable mixed models were also assessed. 

Results: 

• 1970 patients participated in the study. 
• A total of 13,454 days were studied.
• VAS education was strongly correlated with the WPA I+CIQ: AS impact of allergy symptoms on academic productivity, VAS global allergy symptoms, and VAS nose.
• In multivariable regression models, immunotherapy showed a strong negative association with VAS education.
• Poor rhinitis control, measured by the combined symptom-medication score, was associated with worse VAS education, higher impact on academic productivity, and a higher percentage of missed education hours due to allergy. 

Thus, the researchers concluded that academic productivity is severely affected by allergy symptoms and worse rhinitis control, whereas immunotherapy is associated with higher academic productivity.  

For the full article, click here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaip.2022.08.015 

Viera RJ, Pham-Thi N, Anto JM, et al. Academic productivity of young people with allergic rhinitis: A MASK-air® study [published online ahead of print, 2022 Aug 20]. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2022; S2213-2198(22)00820-0.