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Table 4 Prevalence of positive IgE tests for the most common foods, in combination with self-reported symptoms for the 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

Type

Total (95% CI)

Men

Women

p value

Age

17–30

31–45

46–60

> 60

p test for trends

Any of the below

IgE

16.0 (13.8–18.3)

18.4

13.9

0.058

24.6

20.6

13.7

10.8

< 0.001

Symptoms and IgE

5.9 (4.5–7.4)

5.1

6.7

0.29

5.6

10.7

6.7

1.8

0.002

Almond

IgE

3.0 (1.9–4.0)

3.4

2.6

0.46

3.5

3.6

3.8

1.5

0.17

Symptoms and IgE

0.8 (0.2–1.3)

0.4

1.1

0.30

0.7

2.0

0.7

0.0

0.067

Brazil nut

IgE

0.9 (0.3–1.5)

0.9

0.9

1.0

1.4

1.2

0.7

0.6

0..31

Symptoms and IgE

0.4 (0.0–0.8)

0.4

0.4

1.0

0.7

1.2

0.0

0.0

0.044

Egg

IgE

1.7 (0.9–2.5)

1.5

1.9

0.81

2.1

0.0

1.7

2.8

0.13

Symptoms and IgE

0.3 (0.0–0.6)

0.2

0.4

1.0

0.0

0.0

0.3

0.6

0.15

Fish

IgE

0.0 (0.0–0.0)

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Symptoms and IgE

0.0 (0.0–0.0)

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Flour (wheat)

IgE

2.2 (1.3–3.1)

3.0

1.5

0.13

1.4

2.0

3.4

1.5

0.91

Symptoms and IgE

0.0 (0.0–0.0)

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Flour (wheat)b

Symptoms and IgE

0.0 (0.0–0.0)

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Hazelnut

IgE

13.3 (11.2–15.4)

15.0

11.9

0.16

22.5

19.8

11.0

6.5

< 0.001

Symptoms and IgE

5.3 (4.0–6.7)

4.8

5.7

0.58

4.1

9.9

6.2

1.5

0.006

Milk

IgE

1.8 (1.0–2.6)

2.1

1.5

0.48

1.4

1.6

1.7

2.2

0.54

Symptoms and IgE

0.1 (− 0.1–0.3)

0.0

0.2

1.0

0.0

0.4

0.0

0.0

0.44

Milka

Symptoms and IgE

0.0 (0.0–0.0)

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Peanut

IgE

4.9 (3.5–6.2)

6.6

3.3

0.018

7.0

5.6

5.5

2.8

0.037

Symptoms and IgE

0.5 (0.1–0.9)

0.2

0.7

0.38

2.1

0.4

0.3

0.0

0.010

Soy

IgE

1.6 (0.8–2.4)

2.1

1.1

0.22

1.4

1.6

2.4

0.9

0.68

Symptoms and IgE

0.0 (0.0–0.0)

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

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