Chapter one – Living with Food Allergy: Cause for Concern

2014 
Although a growing number of families must live and cope with food allergy on a day to day basis, it is only in recent years that the socio-emotional impact of food allergy on children, teens, adults, and parents has been researched in depth. The EuroPrevall project (europrevall@bbsrc.ac.uk) gave great impetus to research in this area. In addition to clinical research on the prevalence, mechanisms, and causes of food allergy, research output in the area of psychosocial impact included health-related quality of life (HRQL) measures for all age groups and examination of the socio-economic impact of food allergy. Qualitative studies were also carried out under EuroPrevall to provide an in-depth picture of the impact of food allergy on everyday life, and the type of experiences and coping strategies that evolve in response a diagnosis of food allergy. Involving children and teens, as well as adults and parents, in research is important, because children are increasingly acknowledged to have rights in the determination of medical decisions that affect them. In addition, a greater understanding of children and young peoples’ views on the impact of a disease on their experiences and relationships allows us, as health professionals, to respond more appropriately. In this chapter, research from Europe, Asia, Australia, and the US will be brought together, and discussed, in terms of EuroPrevall and Cork Research Group findings on the impact of food allergy on the everyday lives of parents, infants, children, teens, and adults. Topics will include food anxiety, social and dietary restrictions, general emotional impact, auto-injector use/non-use, labeling, and coping strategies. We conclude by highlighting key concerns and making suggestions for future research and practice based on our findings.
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