Author(s): Ferreira, Laura ; Pinto, Bernardo Sousa ; Alves, Sandra Maria ; Amaral, Rita ; Alves, Sandra Maria ; Amaral, Rita
Date: 2025
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.22/30965
Origin: Repositório Científico do Instituto Politécnico do Porto
Subject(s): Allergic rhinitis; Work productivity; Mobile health
Allergic rhinitis is a health condition more prevalent in developed countries that can impact the activities and quality of life of affected individuals1. Although its impact on work productivity is recognized2, there is still a need for a more detailed understanding and quantification. This cross-sectional observational study investigates the relationship between allergic rhinitis and work productivity, using data from the MASK-air mobile designed for monitoring allergic rhinitis and related respiratory conditions3. To investigate the association between the severity of allergic rhinitis symptoms and the impact on work productivity. Data was collected through the MASK-air mobile application4,5 that contains demographic, environmental and symptom variables on a daily basis, with users providing information on a scale of 0 to 100 each day. A sample of 1000 random observations of users from 30 countries, recorded between May 2015 and December 2023 was analysed. Participants were selected based on specifics criteria, including a minimum age of 15 or 16 (depending on the digital consent age in each country) and self-reported diagnosis of allergic rhinitis. Descriptive statistics and the Spearman correlation coefficient6 between symptoms and impact on productivity were calculated. The sample showed a balanced distribution between sexes, with 435 individuals identified as female (53.5%) and 378 individuals as male (46.5%). The mean age of participants was 41.41 ± 14.50 years. The data included participants from various countries; the most frequent was from Mexico with 141 participants (17.3%), followed by Lithuania with 91 participants (11.9%), and Germany with 79 participants (9.7%). Regarding comorbidities, 535 participants (65.6%) reported having conjunctivitis, and 310 participants (38.1%) reported being asthmatic. Additionally, 200 participants (20%) used immunotherapy. A strong positive correlation was observed between work impact and the severities of global allergic symptoms (ρs= 0.82, p < 0.0001) and nasal symptoms (ρs= 0.77, p < 0.0001); and a moderate correlation was observed between work impact and the severities of ocular symptoms (ρs= 0.69, p < 0.0001) and asthma (ρs= 0.48, p< 0.0001). This study offers an initial understanding of how symptoms of allergic rhinitis affect work productivity. Identifying other associated factors will allow targeting health interventions and policies to improve the well-being and performance of workers affected by this condition.
