Atiim George A, Elliott Susan J, Clarke Ann E
Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario Canada.
Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta Canada.
Glob Health Res Policy. 2017 Jul 11;2:20. doi: 10.1186/s41256-017-0040-0. eCollection 2017.
Globally, food allergy [FA] is considered a growing health epidemic. While much of what is known comes from developed countries, there is growing interest in the epidemiology of FA in developing regions such as sub-Saharan Africa. Indeed, researchers are beginning to document the incidence and prevalence of FA and sensitization. The results outlined in this paper stem from an exploratory qualitative study examining the emergence of the health risk of FA in Ghana, a country undergoing epidemiologic changes.
Between June and August, 2015, we conducted thirty-seven (37) semi-structured in-depth interviews. This comprised seventeen (17) healthcare workers across 12 public and private hospitals and twenty (20) individuals with FA and families with allergic children. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analyzed to develop thematic areas that characterize perceptions and experiences around FA.
Three key broad themes arise from this study. First, FA is an emerging health risk, whose incidence is perceived to be increasing. Second, participants expressed mixed perceptions about the public health burden of FA. Third, participants identified individual and societal factors that may be influencing FA risks and susceptibility.
Our research suggests FA is a growing but unrecognized public health concern. There is the need for health policies and researchers to consider the full extent of ongoing epidemiologic changes for the health of populations in developing regions.
在全球范围内，食物过敏（FA）被视为一种日益严重的健康问题。虽然目前已知的大部分信息来自发达国家，但人们对撒哈拉以南非洲等发展中地区食物过敏的流行病学越来越感兴趣。事实上，研究人员已开始记录食物过敏的发病率和患病率以及致敏情况。本文概述的结果源于一项探索性定性研究，该研究调查了正在经历流行病学变化的加纳食物过敏健康风险的出现情况。
2015年6月至8月期间，我们进行了三十七（37）次半结构化深入访谈。其中包括来自12家公立和私立医院的十七（17）名医护人员以及二十（20）名食物过敏患者和有过敏儿童的家庭。所有访谈均进行了录音并逐字转录。对转录文本进行分析，以确定围绕食物过敏的认知和经历的主题领域。
本研究产生了三个主要主题。第一，食物过敏是一种新出现的健康风险，其发病率被认为在上升。第二，参与者对食物过敏的公共卫生负担看法不一。第三，参与者确定了可能影响食物过敏风险和易感性的个人和社会因素。
我们的研究表明，食物过敏是一个日益严重但尚未得到认识的公共卫生问题。卫生政策制定者和研究人员有必要考虑发展中地区人群健康方面正在发生的流行病学变化的全貌。
