Stockhammer Debbi, Katelaris Constance Helen, Simpson Maree Donna, Vanniasinkam Thiru
School of Biomedical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia.
Immunology & Allergy Unit, Campbelltown Hospital, Australia.
World Allergy Organ J. 2020 Oct 20;13(10):100468. doi: 10.1016/j.waojou.2020.100468. eCollection 2020 Oct.
Food allergy affects up to 10% of Australian children, and living with food allergic children can be challenging for parents. This study explored parental perceptions and knowledge as they navigate a new reality of keeping their child safe.
Parents of children with food allergies completed an online food allergy survey in 2015. Questions explored health knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) as well as quality of life (QoL) through the inclusion of the Food Allergy Quality of Life - Parental Burden instrument (FAQL-PB). Notification of the survey included advertisements to more than 700 randomly selected Australia-wide preschools, 44 allergy specialists, and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia. Responses were tabulated and analysed.
Of the 400 participants who logged on, 357 commenced the survey and 318 finished. Questionnaire analysis showed that 44.1% of parents (n = 135) hesitated to use an adrenaline auto-injector and may be influenced by a classification system where symptom severity is not universally understood. While 79% would sign up to a national Anaphylaxis Registry, intention to participate in clinical trials using vaccines was disclosed by only 56%. Allergen labelling and community acceptance continue to be the most challenging aspects of managing a food allergy, and 50% of parents reported that food allergy played a role in choosing a preschool or primary school. Overall, quality of life for participants was influenced more by gender (male) and age of the child than where they lived - capital city or regional location; however, regional participants were more frustrated over lack of appreciation relating to the seriousness of food allergy (p = 0.010).
Results highlight the need for educational strategies for both the food allergy community and public, particularly in regional areas, since there is a perceived lack of appreciation as to the seriousness of food allergy. Educational resources and relevant networks are required to support parents and caregivers in the management of children with food allergy.
食物过敏影响着多达10%的澳大利亚儿童，对于有食物过敏孩子的父母来说，与他们共同生活颇具挑战。本研究探讨了父母在应对保障孩子安全这一新现实时的认知和知识。
2015年，食物过敏儿童的父母完成了一项在线食物过敏调查。问题通过纳入食物过敏生活质量 - 父母负担量表（FAQL-PB），探讨了健康知识、技能和态度（KSAs）以及生活质量（QoL）。调查通知包括向澳大利亚各地700多家随机挑选的幼儿园、44位过敏症专科医生以及澳大利亚过敏与过敏反应协会投放广告。对回复进行了列表统计和分析。
在登录的400名参与者中，357人开始了调查，318人完成了调查。问卷分析显示，44.1%的父母（n = 135）在使用肾上腺素自动注射器时犹豫不决，可能受到一种症状严重程度未被普遍理解的分类系统的影响。虽然79%的父母愿意加入全国过敏反应登记处，但只有56%的父母表示愿意参与使用疫苗的临床试验。过敏原标签和社区接纳仍然是管理食物过敏最具挑战性的方面，50%的父母报告说食物过敏在选择幼儿园或小学时起到了作用。总体而言，参与者的生活质量受孩子的性别（男性）和年龄影响更大，而非他们居住在首府城市还是地区；然而，地区参与者对食物过敏严重性缺乏认识更为沮丧（p = 0.010）。
结果凸显了针对食物过敏群体和公众开展教育策略的必要性，特别是在地区，因为人们普遍认为对食物过敏的严重性缺乏认识。需要教育资源和相关网络来支持父母和照顾者管理食物过敏儿童。
