Food Allergy and Quality of Life: What Have We Learned?

Abstract

Health-related quality of life (HRQL) has become an emerging focus of interest in food allergy. Food allergy is a disease characterized by low mortality and symptoms which only occur during an allergic reaction. However, food-allergic patients continuously need to be alert when eating in order to prevent potentially severe allergic reactions, which may be fatal. Fear of such reactions and the need to be continuously vigilant may seriously compromise their HRQL. During the last decade, numerous studies have been published on food allergy and HRQL. The development of reliable, valid and responsive instruments for measuring HRQL in food allergic patients has facilitated this research even further. Such instruments have given insight into the specific problems a patient may face and the impact of food allergy-related interventions from the patient's perspective. This paper focuses on the most significant findings regarding this topic since its first appearance in the literature in 2000.

Peanut allergy as a family project: social relations and transitions in adolescence

“…In the last decade, there has been a growing interest in the development of questionnaires to measure the impact of food allergy (DunnGalvin et al 2015). Previous qualitative and quantitative research on food allergy in families has typically involved mothers as caregivers (Akeson et al 2007, van der Velde et al 2013, Stjerna et al 2014, Knibb et al 2016, Warren et al 2016. Only two studies were found involving fathersone in which mothers reported higher impact on quality of life and greater anxiety and stress than fathers (King et al 2009), and another in which mothers reported reduced quality of life but greater empowerment compared to fathers (Warren et al 2015).…”

Qualitative research in teen experiences living with food‐induced anaphylaxis: A meta‐aggregation

“…Research into quality of life and related metrics have become more prevalent for FIA, including in the adolescent realm (Flokstra-de Blok et al, 2008;Resnick et al, 2010;van der Velde et al, 2009). Although allergy researchers have demonstrated a strong interest in quality of life (Valentine & Knibb, 2011;Van der Velde, Dubois, & Flokstra-De Blok, 2013) and the detrimental psychosocial effects of FIA (Cummings, Knibb, King, & Lucas, 2010), none of these research instruments can offer us in-depth, specific reasons why quality of life is lower in young people with allergy and their families. Instead, we must turn to research methods which focus on exploring individual situations.…”

Can we identify patients at risk of life‐threatening allergic reactions to food?

“…Nonetheless, severe life-threatening reactions do occur. These are unpredictable, resulting in a perception of risk that adversely affects the healthrelated quality of life (HRQoL) to a degree comparable to chronic illnesses such as diabetes (6). Attempts to reduce this are hampered by our inability to identify those at greatest risk.…”