REPORTED FOOD INTOLERANCE AND RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS IN YOUNG-ADULTS

The aim of the study was to assess the ability of the European Communi ty Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) questionnaire to provide data on the prevalence, type and reported symptoms associated with food intole rance from a group of young adults in Melbourne. Six hundred and sixty nine randomly selected subjects completed the questionnaire with 553 attending the laboratory for skin-prick tests, anthropometry, and vent ilatory function tests, A further 207 symptomatic participants complet ed the questionnaire, with 204 of them attending the laboratory. Seven teen per cent of all respondents reported food intolerance or food all ergy. A wide variety of food items was cited as being responsible for food-related illnesses, Those with current asthma did not report food- related illness more frequently than those without asthma. Respondents who reported respiratory symptoms following food ingestion were more likely to be atopic, to have used inhaled respiratory medications in t he previous 12 months, reported less exposure to regular passive smoki ng over the past 12 months and weighed more. These associations betwee n respiratory symptoms and food intolerance require further prospectiv e investigation and verification. The importance of using appropriate dietary methodology in future studies for determining diet-disease rel ationships was highlighted by this study.