Health‐related quality of life of food‐allergic children compared with healthy controls and other diseases. Issue 1 (16th September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Frachette, Cécile; Fina, Agnès; Fontas, Eric; Donzeau, Dominique; Hoflack, Marie; Gastaud, Frédérique; Baechler, Elisabeth; Dor, Emmanuelle; Descos, Bruno; Triolo, Valérie; Berthet, Stéphanie; Bailly‐Piccini, Carole; Béguin, Mélissa; Flokstra‐de Blok, Bertine; Bourrier, Thierry; Giovannini‐Chami, Lisa
• Editors: Eigenmann, Philippe
• Is Part Of: Pediatric allergy and immunology. Volume 33:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-09-16
• Subjects: children -- disease‐specific questionnaire -- food allergy -- generic questionnaire -- health‐related quality of life; Allergy in children -- Periodicals; Immunologic diseases in children -- Periodicals; 617
• DOI: 10.1111/pai.13663
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0905-6157

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Food allergy is a potentially life‐threatening disease, affecting up to 10% of the pediatric population. Objective: The aim of our study was to assess the health‐related quality of life (HRQL) of food‐allergic patients compared with the general population and patients with other chronic diseases with dietary or allergic burden, in a cross‐sectional study. Methods: We recruited patients aged 8–17 years diagnosed with food allergy and matched healthy controls recruited in schools. We also included patients with asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, diabetes, obesity, and eating disorders. We used the CHQ‐CF87 questionnaire for generic HRQL assessment. Food allergy HRQL was also assessed using specific questionnaires: Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire (FAQLQ) and Food Allergy Independent Measure (FAIM). Results: One hundred and thirty‐five food‐allergic children, 255 children with chronic diseases, and 463 healthy controls were included in the analyses. Food‐allergic patients had a better HRQL than healthy controls in the Behavior (BE), Bodily Pain (BP), Family Activities (FA), and Mental Health (MH) domains and a worse HRQL in the General Health Perception (GH) domain ( p = .048). Food‐allergic patients exhibited a better HRQL than patients affected by other chronic diseases, notably diabetes. Although an epinephrine autoinjector had been prescribed to 87.4% of the food‐allergic children, only 54.2% of them carried it at all times. Conclusion: Food‐allergic patients display overall good HRQL compared with the general population and those with other diseases with daily symptoms and treatments, in line with recent improvements in food allergy management.