Microclimate in public preschools in the Cuenca canton and its relationship with allergic rhinitis, 2021

Background: RA is defined as a chronic Ig E-mediated inflammation of nasal mucosa. This study would favor a better understanding of humidity and temperature factors influence in the development of AR in preschool children of public initial education centers of Cuenca city. Objective: To describe the association between microclimate factors in classrooms of public preschool institutions of Cuenca city and allergic rhinitis in students. Methodology: Retrospective analytical study of case-control designs.The universe of study is made up of all children from 3 to 5 years old who attendedpublic initial education centers (INEC 2010) in the peri-urban and urban area of Cuenca during the period of the study. The sample corresponded to 351 childrenfrom 16 public institutions, whose parents signed an informed consent and solved the ISAAC questionnaire. The data included climatic measurements of temperature, and relative humidity recorded in classrooms; together with the prevalence of AR obtained in the ISAAC survey. Therefore, by using an statisticalmethod of odds ratio, it is indicated the presence or absence of association between AR and exposure to non-comfort ranges of variables studied. Results: After conducting the chi-square test, the presence of statistical association between relative humidity and temperature out of comfort, with the presence of AR in preschool children is absent. Conclusions: Since a statistical association between RA and the variables studied is not determined, it is concluded that theydo not influence the presentation of the disease under the conditions analyzed.