Introduction:

allergic rhinitis is a chronic, allergen-specific, inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa, involving various cells.

Objective:

to determine the prevalence of allergic rhinitis and its risk factors in students in two regions of Guinea Bissau.

Materials and methods:

a quantitative, cross-sectional and analytic study was carried out in a universe of 2,008 students from 7th to 12th class, in the regions of Gabú y Bafatá, in Guinea Bissau, between 2019 and 2020. The Diagnostic Questionnaire of Allergic Rhinitis for Epidemiologic Studies and the Questionnaire to Identify the Risk Factors in Allergic Rhinitis were used. The study data proposed to be measured were drawn from the surveys. It was asked authorization from the authorities of the institutions.

Results:

the prevalence of allergic rhinitis was 17.77 %. The mean age was higher in Bafatá region (17.34 years), with female predominance in both regions (51.71 % vs. 51.97 %). Risk factors found in both regions-with a high level of statistical significance-were female sex (OR: 1.92 / 1.64), family history of disease (OR: 9.68 / 10.82), and history of recurrent upper respiratory disease (OR: 6.43 / 5.33). Factors like humidity were not found risky (OR: 0.71 / 0.93).

Conclusions:

allergic rhinitis is a common condition among the young population in Guinea Bissau. The family history of atopy and the personal history of recurrent upper respiratory disease resulted in a very high level of statistical significance.

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