Abstract
Aims
To determine the prevalence of OAS in Mexican adults and identify the main foods and factors associated with this condition.
Methods
A survey was conducted on a sample of adults aged 18 to 50 years using stratified probabilistic sampling based on the participants’ age and sex. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with OAS, and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) were calculated.
Results
The study included 1,091 adults (46.7% women; mean age 27.6 years). Of these, 196 (18.0%) had food hypersensitivity and 64 out of 1,091 had OAS (prevalence: 5.9%; 95% CI: 4.5 − 7.4%). The food groups most associated with OAS were fruits (28/64, 43.8%), seafood (21/64, 32.8%), and nuts (12/64, 18.8%). Individually, the most frequent foods were shrimp (31.3%), pecans (14.1%), peach (10.9%), kiwi (10.9%), and strawberry (7.8%). There was a significant association of OAS with allergic rhinitis (aOR: 2.85, p = 0.001), urticaria (aOR: 18.48, p < 0.001), and a family history of atopy (aOR: 2.29, p = 0.006).
Conclusions
This study suggests that the prevalence of OAS in adults as a manifestation of food hypersensitivity is a common event (64/196, 32.6%). Foods such as fruits, seafood, and nuts are strongly related to its occurrence.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Martin Bedolla-Barajas, Jaime Morales-Romero and Tonatiuh Ramses Bedolla-Barajas. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Martin Bedolla-Barajas and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Bedolla-Barajas, M., del Campo, M.C.IM., Morales-Romero, J. et al. Prevalence and Associated Factors of Oral Allergy Syndrome among Mexican Adults: A Survey-Based Study. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 77, 1768–1774 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-025-05397-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-025-05397-5