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Table 3 Prevalence of self-reported symptoms for different foods, according to sex and age distribution (%)

From: Prevalence of food hypersensitivity in relation to IgE sensitisation to common food allergens among the general adult population in West Sweden

Food

Total (95% CI)

Men

Women

p value

Age

17–30

31–45

46–60

> 60

p test for trends

Any of the below

32.5 (29.6–35.4)

24.7

39.1

< 0.001

38.6

40.6

36.9

19.1

< 0.001

Additives

0.4 (0.0–0.8)

0.0

0.7

0.128

0.0

0.0

1.0

0.3

0.373

Almond

3.7 (2.5–4.8)

2.1

5.1

0.013

4.1

6.3

4.2

0.9

0.007

Anise/caraway

0.2 (–0.1–0.5)

0.0

0.4

0.502

0.0

0.4

0.3

0.0

0.691

Apple

8.4 (6.7–10.1)

6.3

10.3

0.024

11.8

12.6

9.1

3.0

< 0.001

Apricot

1.7 (0.9–2.5)

1.5

2.0

0.637

1.4

2.7

1.6

1.2

0.443

Avocado

0.8 (0.2–1.3)

0.8

0.7

1.000

0.7

1.6

1.0

0.0

0.139

Banana

1.3 (0.6–2.0)

0.8

1.8

0.280

1.4

2.7

1.3

0.3

0.066

Bean

1.8 (1.0–2.6)

0.8

2.7

0.035

2.1

2.0

2.6

0.9

0.372

Beef

0.4 (0.0–0.8)

0.2

0.5

0.629

0.0

0.0

1.3

0.0

0.693

Brazil nut

4.2 (3.0–5.4)

2.9

5.3

0.085

4.1

6.0

5.6

1.5

0.053

Camomile

0.6 (0.1–1.0)

0.2

0.9

0.226

1.4

0.8

0.6

0.0

0.061

Carrot

3.1 (2.0–4.1)

2.1

3.9

0.105

3.4

6.3

2.9

0.6

0.003

Cayenne/red pepper

1.6 (0.9–2.4)

1.5

1.8

0.808

0.7

2.0

2.3

1.2

0.899

Cheese

1.8 (1.0–2.6)

2.7

1.1

0.062

2.8

1.2

2.6

1.2

0.484

Cheesea

0.8 (0.0–0.0)

1.5

0.2

0.027

1.4

0.0

1.3

0.6

0.893

Chestnut

0.5 (0.1–0.9)

0.4

0.5

1.000

0.7

1.2

0.3

0.0

0.088

Chicken

0.1 (− 0.1–0.3)

0.0

0.2

1.000

0.0

0.0

0.3

0.0

0.845

Celery

0.3 (0.0–0.6)

0.2

0.4

1.000

0.7

0.4

0.3

0.0

0.186

Cherry

3.1 (2.0–4.1)

2.9

3.2

0.858

3.4

5.5

3.3

0.9

0.013

Chili/tabasco

2.2 (1.3–3.1)

1.3

3.0

0.058

1.4

2.8

3.2

1.2

0.652

Chocolate

1.6 (0.9–2.4)

1.3

2.0

0.465

1.4

1.6

1.6

1.8

0.718

Coriander

0.1 (− 0.1–0.3)

0.0

0.2

1.000

0.0

0.0

0.3

0.0

0.842

Curry

1.0 (0.4–1.6)

0.8

1.1

0.760

0.7

0.8

1.6

0.6

0.976

Dried fruit

0.3 (0.0–0.6)

0.0

0.5

0.254

0.0

0.4

0.6

0.0

0.834

Egg

1.3 (0.6–2.0)

0.6

2.0

0.102

2.1

1.6

1.0

1.2

0.422

Fish

0.3 (0.0–0.6)

0.2

0.4

1.000

0.0

0.4

0.7

0.0

0.833

Flour (non wheat)

0.7 (0.2–1.2)

0.4

0.9

0.461

3.4

0.0

0.6

0.0

0.002

Flour (non wheat)b

0.0 (0.0–0.0)

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Flour (wheat)

1.6 (0.9–2.4)

1.0

2.1

0.221

2.1

2.0

1.9

0.9

0.287

Flour (wheat)b

0.1 (− 0.1–0.3)

0.0

0.2

1.000

0.0

0.0

0.3

0.0

0.847

Fried/fat food

3.7 (2.5–4.8)

1.7

5.4

0.001

6.2

3.5

4.2

2.2

0.060

Hazelnut

8.9 (7.1–10.6)

6.7

10.8

0.280

6.9

12.3

11.0

5.1

0.109

Kiwi

7.3 (5.7–8.8)

2.9

11.0

< 0.001

10.5

11.0

6.9

3.3

< 0.001

Lingonberry

0.1 (− 0.1–0.3)

0.0

0.2

1.000

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.3

0.245

Melon

0.4 (0.0–0.8)

0.4

0.4

1.000

0.7

0.8

0.3

0.0

0.126

Milk

7.4 (5.8–9.0)

4.8

9.6

0.004

11.7

9.8

9.5

1.5

< 0.001

Milka

1.1 (0.4–1.7)

1.1

1.1

1.000

3.5

0.4

1.0

0.6

0.050

Nectarine

2.4 (1.5–3.3)

1.3

3.4

0.026

1.4

5.1

2.9

0.3

0.034

Others

3.6 (2.5–4.8)

2.5

4.6

0.071

2.7

5.9

3.2

2.7

0.328

Orange

2.9 (1.9–3.9)

1.0

4.5

0.001

1.4

2.1

3.6

1.2

0.224

Parsley

0.3 (0.0–0.6)

0.2

0.4

1.000

0.7

0.8

0.0

0.0

0.060

Pea

0.7 (0.2–1.2)

0.2

1.1

0.132

1.4

0.8

1.0

0.0

0.098

Peach

3.2 (2.1–4.3)

2.9

3.4

0.725

4.2

5.5

2.0

2.1

0.036

Peanut

3.5 (2.4–4.6)

1.9

4.9

0.01

6.2

2.0

4.9

2.1

0.167

Pear

4.0 (2.8–5.2)

3.3

4.7

0.344

6.2

5.1

4.2

2.1

0.021

Plum

3.0 (2.0–4.0)

3.6

2.5

0.363

4.2

4.7

2.6

1.5

0.026

Poppy seed

0.1 (− 0.1–0.3)

0.0

0.2

1.000

0.0

0.4

0.0

0.0

0.445

Pork

0.6 (0.1–1.0)

0.0

1.1

0.034

0.7

0.8

1.0

0.0

0.274

Potato

1.6 (0.9–2.4)

1.0

2.1

0.221

2.1

3.9

1.3

0.0

0.003

Red meat

0.9 (0.3–1.4)

0.2

1.4

0.043

0.7

0.8

2.0

0.0

0.488

Salami

0.5 (0.1–0.9)

0.2

0.7

0.380

0.7

0.4

0.7

0.3

0.680

Sesame seed

0.1 (− 0.1–0.3)

0.0

0.2

1.000

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.3

0.246

Shellfish

3.5 (2.4–4.6)

2.5

4.3

0.127

2.1

4.3

3.6

3.4

0.789

Sour milk/yogurt

3.6 (2.4–4.7)

2.5

4.5

0.095

6.9

5.5

3.6

0.6

< 0.001

Sour milk/yogurta

0.6 (0.1–1.1)

0.6

0.5

1.000

2.1

0.0

1.0

0.0

0.059

Soy

0.3 (0.0–0.6)

0.0

0.5

0.254

0.7

0.4

0.3

0.0

0.183

Strawberry

2.7 (1.7–3.7)

1.0

4.1

0.003

2.1

4.7

3.2

0.9

0.091

Sunflower seed

0.1 (− 0.1–0.3)

0.0

0.2

1.000

0.0

0.0

0.3

0.0

0.843

Sweet pepper

2.1 (1.2–3.0)

0.6

3.4

0.002

2.1

2.4

3.2

0.9

0.363

Tomato

2.1 (1.2–3.0)

0.6

3.4

0.002

4.8

2.8

2.6

0.0

0.001

Walnut

4.9 (3.5–6.2)

3.8

5.8

0.147

6.3

6.7

5.2

2.4

0.020

Wine/beer

4.6 (3.4–5.9)

3.1

5.9

0.037

4.8

7.1

5.2

2.1

0.034

  1. Significant p values are marked with italic (p < 0.05)
  2. aLactose intolerance symptoms excluded
  3. bGluten intolerance symptoms excluded