Prevalence of food allergy in the Chinese population: A systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based studies

Background: The prevalence of food allergy is increasing and varies among different populations. Study on the food allergy prevalence is very limited in China. Objective: To assess the prevalence of food allergy in the Chinese population by using systematic evaluation and meta-analysis. Methods: A literature search for population-based epidemiologic study on food allergy in China was conducted in several Chinese and English medical literature data bases. Pooled prevalence data and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to estimate the prevalence of food allergy in China. Subgroup analyses were performed to eliminate and explain the heterogeneity, and also to obtain the prevalence of pooled food allergy in different populations. Results: The overall food allergy prevalence ranged from 4.0% to 8.2%. Subgroup analysis showed a trend of overall increase of food allergy, which varied between 4.4% and 9.9%; The common allergic foods were determined to be mango, shrimp, egg, milk, and crab, with the prevalence of 1.9%, 1.5%, 1.4%, 1.3%, 1.3%, respectively; There is a lack of epidemiologic studies on food allergy in some regions and the overall prevalence of food allergy varied from region to region in China. Conclusion: This study revealed that the prevalence of food allergy in the Chinese population ranged from 4.0% to 8.2%; Food allergy prevalence varied by gender, age, and region. This study highlighted the need for collaborative studies of food allergy with the same rational methods to minimize potential bias caused by methods and techniques. Findings of this study may provide baseline data and scientific reference for improving policies on prevention and control of food allergy.