The impact of food allergy on the daily activities of children and their families. 2006

The impact of food allergy on the daily activities of children and their families.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Food allergy affects a significant number of children, and its management requires considerable time and vigilance.

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the impact of food allergy on the daily activities of food allergic children and their families.

METHODS:

Caregivers of food allergic children from a university-based allergy practice completed a questionnaire that evaluated their perception of the impact of their child’s food allergy on family activities.

RESULTS:

Of the 87 families who completed the study, more than 60% of caregivers reported that food allergy significantly affected meal preparation and 49% or more indicated that food allergy affected family social activities. Forty-one percent of parents reported a significant impact on their stress levels and 34% reported that food allergy had an impact on school attendance, with 10% choosing to home school their children because of food allergy. The number of food allergies had a significant impact on activity scores, but the existence of comorbid conditions such as asthma and atopic dermatitis did not significantly affect the results.

CONCLUSIONS:

Food allergy has a significant effect on activities of families of food allergic children. Further study is needed to determine more detailed effects of food allergy on parent-child interactions and development.

Link To:

Bollinger, M.E., Dahlquist, L.M., Mudd, K., Sonntag, C., Dillinger, L., and McKenna, K. The impact of food allergy on the daily activities of children and their families. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2006; 96: 415–421

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16597075

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