scholarly journals Exploring Perceptions and Experiences of Food Allergy among New Canadians from Asia

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie K. Lu ◽  
Susan J. Elliott ◽  
Ann E. Clarke
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Food Allergy ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
Food Labelling ◽  
Canadian Population ◽  
Canadian Immigrants ◽  
New Canadians

Introduction. In Canada, perceived prevalence of food allergy surpasses systematic estimates. Canadian immigrants have been found more likely to rate the risk of food allergy as “high” compared to nonimmigrants. Methods. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 3 key informants and 18 allergic individuals of East and Southeast Asian descent in order to capture their lived experience with food allergies. Results. Participants found food allergies to be more common in Canada than in Asia. Participants also agreed that having a food allergy is more manageable in Canada as a result of the policy environment (e.g., food labelling and school policies). In addition, participants had dealt with skepticism and disbelief about their food allergy in Asia, resulting in social exclusion and impacting quality of life. Discussion. Findings demonstrate the need to recognize the varied impacts and experiences of food allergy among new Canadians, given that immigrants represent a large and growing proportion of the Canadian population.

scholarly journals What about the other 50 percent of the Canadian population? Food allergies ignored in national policy plan

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-289
Author(s):  
Susan Elliott ◽  
Francesca Cardwell
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Food Allergy ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
Canadian Population ◽  
Significant Public Health Problem ◽  
Significant Public Health

Food allergy is a growing public health epidemic in Canada, affecting 50 percent of Canadian households either directly or indirectly. Despite the physical, psychosocial and quality of life impacts to those affected, food allergy has recently been ignored in the Canadian policy context. While the complete etiology of food allergy remains unknown, we have enough information to make strong policy choices that can maximize choice and minimize risk for affected Canadians, and place Canada at the forefront of food allergy management and research. Policy recognizing food allergy as a chronic health issue that represents a significant public health problem in Canada is critical.

scholarly journals Weighing the benefits and risks of oral immunotherapy in clinical practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-123
Author(s):  
Aikaterini Anagnostou
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Food Allergy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Oral Immunotherapy ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
Allergic Reactions ◽  
Immune Modulators ◽  
Significant Burden ◽  
Working Together

Food allergies are common and affect 6‐8% of children in the United States; they pose a significant burden on the quality of life of children with allergy and their caregivers due to multiple daily restrictions. Despite the recommended dietary avoidance, reactions tend to occur due to unintentional exposure to the allergenic food trigger. Fear of accidental ingestions with potentially severe reactions, including anaphylaxis and death, creates anxiety in individuals with food allergy. Oral immunotherapy has emerged as a form of active and potentially disease-modifying treatment for common food allergies encountered in childhood. The efficacy of oral immunotherapy is high, with the majority of participants achieving desensitization and, as a result, protection from trace exposures and improved quality of life. The main risk of oral immunotherapy consists of allergic reactions to treatment. In general, rates of allergic reactions and anaphylaxis are reported to be higher in individuals pursuing therapy options, but most subjects who undergo oral immunotherapy will likely experience mild or moderate reactions during treatment. Adverse events tend to reduce in both frequency and number in the maintenance period. The use of immune modulators alongside oral immunotherapy has been suggested, with the aim to improve efficacy and safety, and to facilitate the overall process. It is evident that the landscape of food allergy management is changing and that the future looks brighter, with different options emerging over time. The process of how to choose the appropriate option becomes a discussion between the clinician and the patient, which involves a joint review of the current medical evidence but also the patient's preference for balancing particular attributes of the treatment. By working together, providers and patients will ensure achievement of the best possible outcome for children with food allergies.

scholarly journals Challenges in Diagnosis of Food Allergies via Oral Food Challenges: A Qualitative Analysis of the Caregiver Perspective

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha Correa ◽  
Jennifer LP Protudjer ◽  
Elaine Hsu ◽  
Lianne Soller ◽  
Edmond S Chan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Food Allergy ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Standard Test ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Food Challenges

Abstract Background: Food allergy disproportionately affects children and contributes to poor quality of life for families. As a result, accurate diagnosis of food allergy is important. Oral food challenges (OFC) are the gold standard test for diagnosis of food allergy. Yet, many children do not undergo OFCs. The purpose of this study was to understand the barriers to OFCs faced by parents of children with food allergies in Ontario, as well as solutions to increase their utilization.Methods: Three focus group discussions were carried out with a total of 24 parents of children with food allergies in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. Focus group data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis.Results: Parents misperceived OFCs as management of food allergies. They were also unsure about whether OFCs take place in hospitals, clinics or in the home. Parents reported several barriers to OFCs including not being referred by their primary care physicians, wait times, and fear and anxiety. Additionally, parents with older children, children with multiple allergies and children who could only tolerate allergens in its baked form felt that OFCs would not improve their quality of life. Solutions offered by parents to increase uptake of OFCs included education of the public, physicians and policy makers to improve knowledge and training, and ensure timely access to OFCs. Parents also suggested a need for improved counselling about the risk of OFCs, psychological support, and sharing of patient success stories. Long-term follow-up after an OFC as well as support and guidance around food reintroduction was also suggested to ensure OFCs resulted in an improvement in quality of life.Conclusion: Interventions aimed at addressing barriers to OFCs identified by parents have the potential to increase utilization of OFCs, and thereby reduce the burden of food allergies in children and improve quality of life.

scholarly journals Psychosocial issues and quality of life associated with food allergy

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-98
Author(s):  
Rita Kachru
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Food Allergy ◽  
Peer Pressure ◽  
Adolescent And Young Adult ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
Psychosocial Issues ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
The Family ◽  
School Events

The day-to-day challenges involved in caring for a child with food allergies can be a significant stress within a family. As the child with a food allergy grows up, developmental changes as well as external influences such as bullying and peer pressure can further influence these stressors. When the child with a food allergy is young, the family may be limited on where they can vacation or go out to restaurants, which can cause tension and frustration within the family. Hypervigilance and fear of accidental exposure to the allergen takes an emotional and physical toll on the child with a food allergy and the child’s family. Socially, children with a food allergy may have to limit participation in school events, parties, or camps. These limitations can cause feelings of isolation for the child and feelings of guilt for the parents. As the child becomes an adolescent and young adult (AYA), increased autonomy of dining options and a desire to fit in with peers can trigger higher risk-taking behavior, which can be a source of anxiety for the AYA as well as the caregivers. The aim of this review was to describe potential negative psychosocial impacts of having a food allergy for the family. Data were reviewed from a literature search of medical literature data bases between 2010 and 2020 by using the search terms “food allergy,” “psychosocial,” “anxiety,” and” quality of life.” As we better recognize the psychosocial issues associated with food allergies, we will have a better ability to develop effective interventions to improve the quality of life for these families.

scholarly journals A Pediatric Food Allergy Support Group Can Improve Parent and Physician Communication: Results of a Parent Survey

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashika Sharma ◽  
Tracy Prematta ◽  
Tracy Fausnight
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Food Allergy ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
Physician Communication ◽  
Online Surveys ◽  
Parent Survey ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Rationale. We sought to evaluate the impact of having an allergist at a food allergy support group (FASG) on the relationship between parents and their child's allergist. Methods. Ninety-eight online surveys were sent to parents who attend a FASG affiliated with our institution. Responses were analyzed looking for reasons for attending the support group and comfort with having an allergist present at the meetings. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of having an allergist at the food allergy support group on the relationship between parents and their child's allergist. Results. The FASG decreased anxiety about food allergies for 77.7% of those who responded. Most (71.4%) felt the FASG improved their child's quality of life. Greater than 90% felt comfortable having an allergist at the support group meeting, and 64.3% felt that talking to an allergist at the FASG made it easier to speak with their child's allergist. Conclusions. FASG meetings appear to be a good way for families of children with food allergies to learn more about food allergies, improve quality of life, and increase comfort in communicating with a child's allergist.

Potential beneficial effects of kefir and its postbiotic, kefiran, on child food allergy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susy Érika de Lima Barros ◽  
Caique dos Santos Rocha ◽  
Mayara Storel Beserra de Moura ◽  
Mariana Pegrucci Barcelos ◽  
Carlos Henrique Tomich de Paula da Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Food Allergy ◽  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Beneficial Effects

Food allergies are known as the public health problem, affecting people of all age groups, but more commonly in babies and children, with consequences for nutritional status and quality of life.

scholarly journals Real life study of the use of omalizumab for pediatric patients with multiple food allergies

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-22
Author(s):  
Judit Barrena Crespo ◽  
Marta Viñas Domingo ◽  
Nora Hernández Arauzo ◽  
M. José Castillo ◽  
M. Belén Delavalle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Food Allergy ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
Skin Tests ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
The Impact

Background: Multiple food allergies (MFAs) affect 30% of the child population with food allergy. The current treatment is the exclusion diet, which frequently affects the quality of life for these patients. The objective of the study was to describe the effect of omalizumab treatment in children diagnosed with MFAs who experienced frequent anaphylactic reactions and the impact on their quality of life.Material and methods: A descriptive observational study. Patients with severe food restrictions and high-risk due to multiple episodes of anaphylaxis were included. The allergy was confirmed by compatible clinical, skin tests, positive specific IgE and oral food challenges (OFCs). Omalizumab treatment was initiated and the impact on the life quality of patients and their families was assessed using the validated Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Parent Form.Results: Five patients with an average age at diagnosis of 3.58 years (range between 1.5–7.9 years), were diagnosed with MFAs. All patients presented with anaphylaxis. All patients were treated with omalizumab between 2013 and 2019. Omalizumab treatment was initiated at a mean age of 6.05 years (range between 4.5–8.25 years). All patients have undergone OFC to reintroduce food successfully. 2 patients had their dose of omalizumab reduced by half, and 1 patient has had the time interval extended between administrations due to the maintenance of food tolerance. No immediate local or systemic adverse reactions were documented. Two patients have commenced omalizumab administration at home without incident.Conclusions: Children with MFAs who are treated with omalizumab do not show reactions in response to most of the foods to which they previously had anaphylaxis. Consequently, these patients were able to significantly expand the variety of their diet, improving the life quality and avoid anaphylaxis following the inadvertent intake of these foods.

scholarly journals Adaptation, Translation and Validation of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Parent Form (FAQLQ-PF): The Malay Version

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1050
Author(s):  
Izyana Syazlin Ibrahim ◽  
Noorhida Baharudin ◽  
Mohamad Rodi Isa ◽  
Intan Hakimah Ismail ◽  
Mohamed-Syarif Mohamed-Yassin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Food Allergy ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Cronbach’S Alpha ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Quality Of Life Questionnaire ◽  
Cronbach's Alpha

Food allergy has a significant impact on the quality of life (QoL) of children and can be measured using The Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Parent Form (FAQLQ-PF). This study aimed to adapt, translate the FAQLQ-PF into Malay and determine the validity and reliability of the translated version. This cross-sectional questionnaire validation study was conducted among parents of children (0 to 12 years old) with food allergies across five sites in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The FAQLQ-PF-Malay underwent cross-cultural adaptation, translation, validation (content, face and construct) and reliability assessment. Exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency and test-retest reliability analyses were used to examine its construct validity and reliability. Out of 150 children, the majority were between the age of 7 to 12 years old (41%) and were female (81%). Three subscales were identified, which were: (i) social and dietary implication, (ii) food anxiety and (iii) emotional and physical impact. Four items were eliminated because of weak factor loadings. The Cronbach’s alpha for each subscale ranged from 0.88 to 0.94, with an overall Cronbach’s alpha of 0.95. The intra-class correlation coefficient ranged from 0.54 (95% CI: 0.10–0.77) to 0.97 (95% CI: 0.90–0.99). The 26-item FAQLQ-PF-Malay retained the three-factor structure of the original FAQLQ-PF. The FAQLQ-PF-Malay is a valid and reliable tool to assess the QoL of Malaysian children with food allergies.

Contact precautions for colonisation with multidrug-resistant organisms and haemodialysis patient quality of life and mood: a pilot case-control study

2019 ◽  
pp. 19-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rathika Krishnasamy
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Social Function ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Contact Precautions ◽  
Dialysis Vintage ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Organisms ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact

Background: The rate of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) colonisation in dialysis populations has increased over time. This study aimed to assess the effect of contact precautions and isolation on quality of life and mood for haemodialysis (HD) patients colonised with MDRO. Methods: Patients undergoing facility HD completed the Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL–SFTM), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Personal Wellbeing-Index Adult (PWI-A). Patients colonised with MDRO were case-matched by age and gender with patients not colonised. Results: A total of 16 MDRO-colonised patients were matched with 16 controls. Groups were well matched for demographics and co-morbidities, other than a trend for older dialysis vintage in the MDRO group [7.2 years (interquartile range 4.6–10.0) compared to 3.2 (1.4–7.6) years, p=0.05]. Comparing MDRO-positive with negative patients, physical (30.5±10.7 vs. 34.6±7.3; p=0.2) and mental (46.5±11.2 vs. 48.5±12.5; p = 0.6) composite scores were not different between groups. The MDRO group reported poorer sleep quality (p=0.01) and sleep patterns (p=0.05), and lower social function (p=0.02). BDI scores were similar (MDRO-positive 10(3.5–21.0) vs. MDRO-negative 12(6.5–16.0), p=0.6). PWI-A scores were also similar in both groups; however, MDRO patients reported lower scores for “feeling safe”, p=0.03. Conclusion: While overall scores of quality of life and depression were similar between groups, the MDRO group reported poorer outcomes in sleep and social function. A larger cohort and qualitative interviews may give more detail of the impact of contact precautions and isolation on HD patients. The necessity for contact precautions for different MDRO needs consideration.

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