Kesensitifan terhadap Makanan, Inhalens dan Produk Lebah dalam kalangan Penduduk Bandar dan Penduduk Orang Asli di Tanjong Malim, Perak

Sensitivity to Food, Inhalents and Bee Products among the Urban and Indigenous People in Tanjong Malim, Perak

Abstract

Kajian ini dijalankan untuk mengenal pasti alergen utama kepada masalah kesensitifan alergi dalam kalangan Penduduk Bandar (PB) dan Penduduk Orang Asli (POA) di Tanjong Malim, Daerah Batang Padang, Perak. Seramai 323 orang penduduk bandar dan 141 orang penduduk orang asli telah ditemu bual untuk mendapatkan maklumat tentang sejarah kesensitifan mereka. Seterusnya ujian cucuk kulit telah dijalankan ke atas responden untuk mengenal pasti kesensitifan alergik mereka terhadap 45 jenis alergen. Kajian mendapati prevalens kesensitifan terhadap sekurang-kurangnya satu jenis alergen bagi PB mengatasi POA. Kesensitifan makanan didominasi oleh makanan laut (udang dan ketam) bagi kedua-dua PB dan POA. Kesensitifan inhalens yang tertinggi ialah terhadap tungau debu rumah diikuti lipas, bulu haiwan dan rumput. Reaksi kesensitifan PB kepada produk lebah lebih ketara berbanding POA. Kesensitifan inhalens seperti tungau debu rumah, lipas dan bulu haiwan dalam kalangan kanak-kanak orang asli lebih rendah berbanding kanak-kanak bandar. Kesensitifan alergik merupakan suatu masalah kepada individu yang tinggal di bandar di Tanjong Malim dengan kadar 2.2 kali ganda berbanding masyarakat orang asli yang tinggal berhampiran. Kajian mendapati faktor persekitaran bagi keduadua penduduk hampir serupa tetapi terdapat perbezaan di dalam prevalens kesensitifan terutamanya terhadap inhalens. Justeru, banyak faktor lain yang perlu dipertimbangkan untuk menjelaskan keadaan ini yang memerlukan kajian lanjutan.

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This study was conducted to identify the major allergens that elicit allergic sensitivity among the urban and indigenous people of Tanjong Malim, District of Batang Padang in Perak. A total of 323 urban residents and 141 indigenous people were interviewed to obtain information about the history of their sensitivity. Skin prick tests were performed on respondents to identify their allergic sensitivity to 45 types of allergens. Prevalence of sensitivity to at least one type of allergen among the urban population was higher compared to the indigenous people. Food sensitivity was dominated by seafood (shrimp and crabs) for both urban dwellers and indigenous people. Inhalant’s sensitivity was due to house dust mites, followed by cockroaches animal dander and grass. Sensitive reactivity to bee products was more pronounced to the urban dwellers than the indigenous people. Inhalant’s sensitivity to house dust mites, cockroaches and animal hair among the indigenous children were lower than the urban children. Allergic sensitivity caused a problem for people living in the town at Tanjong Malim with a rate of 2.2 times higher than the indigenous communities living nearby. This study found that environmental factors for both populations are very similar but ironically there are differences in the prevalence of allergic sensitivity, particularly to inhalants. To explain this situation, there are many factors to be considered and thus needs for further investigation.