Allergy Test: Seasonal
Allergens and
Performance in School
Dave E. Marcotte
Journal of Health Economics, 2014
Presented by: Josh Vojtush
Introduction

1 in 5 school-aged children are affected by seasonal
pollen allergies.

Research has established a link to pollen allergies
affecting cognitive abilities.

Prolonged exposure versus immediate exposure of high
levels of particulates.

Average age where onset of pollen allergies are noticed is
8 to 10 years old.

Antibodies cause the release of histamine, which then
cause watery eyes, throat irritation, and congestion.
Previous Literature

Wilken (2002) – Randomly divided subjects and exposed a
group to pollen. Exposed people had decreased reasoning
ability, longer response times, and slower responses.

Bender (2005) – Typical allergy treatments, such as
antihistamines, do not offer much protection from the
decreased cognitive ability.

Walker (2007) – Students with pollen allergies are 40%
more likely than students without allergies to score an
entire grade lower on one of three core tests. The number
increases to 70% when an antihistamine was taken
immediately prior.
Data

Daily pollen counts (National Allergy Bureau).

School district data on state reading and math
assessments within 10 miles of pollen reporting stations
(48 districts, average of 3 per station).

Generally urban or suburban areas.
Descriptive Statistics
Empirics

Pgdt = % of students proficient or advanced, grade g,
district d, time t

𝑃𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑑𝑡 = Level of pollen during test

X = % of students eligible for free or reduced meals, %
black, % Hispanic, pupil-teacher ratio, per-pupil
expenditure

𝛼𝑔 = grade fixed effect

F(d,t) = district and time effects
Results

A 100% increase in pollen levels shows a decline in 3rd
graders passing state assessments by 1.1 to 1.3% for
reading and between 1.8 and 2.2% for math.

Stronger effect than class size or teacher quality from
previous research.

Weaker effect than same results taken from a clinical
study where the range of decreased cognitive ability was
3% to 6.5%. This was not using standardized test results,
but a clinical testing method on reaction and memory.
The Effects of
Antihistamines on
Cognition and Performance
Gary G. Kay
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2000
Introduction

Pollen allergies cause more than 3.5 million lost workdays
and 2 million missed school days in the United States per
year.

Antihistamines are the go-to for relief, but they act as a
sedative for most people. The main three are
diphenhydramine (1st gen), loratadine (2nd gen), and
fexofenadine (2nd gen).

Diphenhydramine causes considerable cognitive ability
loss.

Loratadine and fexofenadine performed equal to a
placebo.

Cause highest risk of work-related injury, over other
things such as narcotics.
Previous Literature

Warren, Simpson, Hilchie (1981) - Canadian study that
found in a car accident, drivers who died of their own
error were 1.5 times more likely to have been using an
antihistamine like diphenhydramine.
Results
First-generation antihistamines cause significant cognitive
ability loss.
 First-generation meds are cheaper than second, so some
doctors recommend first-gen at night and second-gen
during the day.
 Cognitive ability is still decreased two days later on firstgen antihistamines.
 Since an estimated 40% of the population suffers from
pollen allergies, this causes a significant decrease in
productivity and mental capacity.

What to do?

Do not breathe when you are outside.

Take diphenhydramine and die in a car crash, or sustain a
work-related injury.

Take loratadine and surpass your peers that take
diphenhydramine.
References

Marcotte, Dave E. “Allergy Test: Seasonal Allergens and Performance in
School.” Journal of Health Economics 40 (March 2015): 132-40.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S01676296150000 3X#.

Kay, Gary G. “The Effects of Antihistamines On Cognition and
Performance.” Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 105, no. 6 (June
2000): S622-S627.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091674900795546#.