Misconceptions around
food allergy are prevalent among the general public: parents of children with food allergies have solid knowledge but experience high levels of anxiety as they worry about their children eating the wrong foods.
Rather, physicians has basic knowledge of food allergies and
anaphylaxis but differ on their approach to
diagnosis and the advice they offered families about breastfeeding and introduction of solids.
It is a research from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Children's Memorial Research Center, recently published on the scientific journal BioMed Central Pediatrics, based on three focus groups located in the Chicago area.
Data showed that food allergy knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs varied significantly across the three populations represented by focus groups:
- parents of children with food allergy had a solid foundation of food allergy knowledge, diagnosis, and treatment and emphasized the significant impact that food allergy had on their daily quality of life;
- pediatricians and family physicians had familiarity with the definitions of food allergy and anaphylaxis. However, there were inconsistencies in their understanding of symptoms suggestive of a food allergy diagnosis;
- the general public had significant variations in their knowledge about the definition, symptoms, and prevalence of food allergy.
The most striking aspect of the parent focus group discussions was how managing a child’s food allergy had a significant negative impact on personal and familial quality of life. Parents felt that food allergy impacted not only their daily social lives but their relationships with their spouses and extended family. Parents confirmed that food allergy affected their child psychologically and socially.
This study will help increase knowledge around food allergy in three very important groups to improve the health and lives of children and families with food allergy.
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