Evaluation of the Types of Farms and Their Effects on the Development of Asthma and Allergies INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is to determine the factors that are significantly involved in reducing asthma risk in farm environments. CONCLUSION FUTURE IMPLICATIONS Meram Alamoudi1, Shandra Bellinger1, Armando Marull1, Melany Santana1, Felix E. Rivera-Mariani, PhD1 1College of Biomedical Sciences, Larkin University According to the WHO, asthma is the most common non- communicable disease among children with approximately 235 million people suffering worldwide. It has skyrocketed in recent decades, specifically in urban and modernized environments globally. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that children who grew up in rural areas have less asthma than those in urban environments. This study aims to discuss the various factors that are instrumental in reducing the susceptibility of asthma and allergies in children that were exposed to living on farms in the United States. There have been limited studies comparing asthma risks in children who grew up in farm environments in the U.S. as there aren’t many that have been done nationally in every single state. This poses a problem in attempting to produce a more accurate depiction of the patterns associated with lower asthma rates in children and farm exposure. Figure 2 Showcases the asthma rates of the states with the highest number of farms (Texas), lowest number of farms (Alaska), and a state in the middle (Louisiana). More studies need to be conducted to determine accurate comparisons of asthma-reduction effects with difference types of farms (in example, agricultural farms versus traditional farms). Does the climate the farms are in matter in asthma prevalence? • All research articles reviewed in this study suggest that farms have a positive effect on the development of both allergies and asthma in children. • The Hygiene Hypothesis is a theory suggesting that an environment that is too clean will not expose those in it to enough allergens needed to build their immune system. • The endotoxin that is in farm dust and produced by bacteria is present in most types of farms; allowing farms to act as protective environments against allergy development. • The types of farms reviewed are dairy farms, poultry farms and crop farms, and in all settings, children exposed were less likely to develop allergies as adults. • Data suggest that the exposure to animals on the farm (dairy and poultry farms) help to reduce the risk of allergy and asthma development. • The location (by state) of the farm does not seem to influence the effectiveness of the farm dust as protection, as each study reviewed farms in different states. • Industrialized and traditional farming practices displayed consistent findings however traditional farms had a greater impact. • Asthma rates per state reported by the CDC were compared against the number of farms reported per state; Texas had the most amount of farms and lowest percent with current asthma • Childhood exposure to farms will help decrease the occurrence of allergies and asthma. Figure 1 Figure 2 The following are differences that were present in the various studies reviewed but the relationship between farming and decreased risk of developing Asthma and Allergies is consistent: • Dairy, poultry and crop farms • Location of the farm (different states) • Industrialized vs. traditional farming practices • Exposure to animals on a farm These findings indicate that there is no significance in the type of farm the child is exposed to or the location of the farm. The results denote that the farm dust present will act as protection against the development of asthma and allergies when the child is exposed at a young age. PURPOSE METHODS RESULTS DATA LIMITATIONS Figure 1 Showcases the states with the highest number of farms (Texas), lowest number of farms (Alaska), and a state in the middle (Louisiana).