Academic Productivity of Young People With Allergic Rhinitis: A MASK-air Study.
Vieira RJ., Pham-Thi N., Anto JM., Czarlewski W., Sá-Sousa A., Amaral R., Bedbrook A., Bosnic-Anticevich S., Brussino L., Canonica GW., Cecchi L., Cruz AA., Fokkens WJ., Gemicioglu B., Haahtela T., Ivancevich JC., Klimek L., Kuna P., Kvedariene V., Larenas-Linnemann D., Morais-Almeida M., Mullol J., Niedoszytko M., Okamoto Y., Papadopoulos NG., Patella V., Pfaar O., Regateiro FS., Reitsma S., Rouadi PW., Samolinski B., Sheikh A., Taborda-Barata L., Toppila-Salmi S., Sastre J., Tsiligianni I., Valiulis A., Ventura MT., Waserman S., Yorgancioglu A., Zidarn M., Zuberbier T., Fonseca JA., Bousquet J., Sousa-Pinto B., MASK study group None.
BackgroundSeveral studies have suggested an impact of allergic rhinitis on academic productivity. However, large studies with real-world data (RWD) are not available.ObjectiveTo use RWD to assess the impact of allergic rhinitis on academic performance (measured through a visual analog scale [VAS] education and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire plus Classroom Impairment Questions: Allergy Specific [WPAI+CIQ:AS] questionnaire), and to identify factors associated with the impact of allergic rhinitis on academic performance.MethodsWe assessed data from the MASK-air mHealth app of users aged 13 to 29 years with allergic rhinitis. We assessed the correlation between variables measuring the impact of allergies on academic performance (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. In addition, we identified factors associated with the impact of allergic symptoms on academic productivity through multivariable mixed models.ResultsA total of 13,454 days (from 1970 patients) were studied. VAS education was strongly correlated with the WPAI+CIQ:AS impact of allergy symptoms on academic productivity (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.71 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.58; 0.80]), VAS global allergy symptoms (0.70 [95% CI = 0.68; 0.71]), and VAS nose (0.66 [95% CI = 0.65; 0.68]). In multivariable regression models, immunotherapy showed a strong negative association with VAS education (regression coefficient = -2.32 [95% CI = -4.04; -0.59]). Poor rhinitis control, measured by the combined symptom-medication score, was associated with worse VAS education (regression coefficient = 0.88 [95% CI = 0.88; 0.92]), higher impact on academic productivity (regression coefficient = 0.69 [95% CI = 0.49; 0.90]), and higher percentage of missed education hours due to allergy (regression coefficient = 0.44 [95% CI = 0.25; 0.63]).ConclusionAllergy symptoms and worse rhinitis control are associated with worse academic productivity, whereas immunotherapy is associated with higher productivity.