Abstract
Background: Food allergy is targeted as a public health priority by the European Union Commission. Parental perception of food allergy in their offspring is a proxy measure of the potential demand for allergy medicine services in the paediatric population. Methods: A representative sample of the general population was contacted by a randomised telephone survey in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Slovenia and Switzerland. A standardised questionnaire was administered regarding parentally perceived food allergy reports, symptoms, foods and medical service use by their live-in children. Results: 40,246 adults were polled, yielding data on 8,825 children. Parentally perceived food allergy prevalence was 4.7% (90% CI 4.2-5.2%). The most affected age group was 2- to 3-year olds (7.2%). Single-country incidence ranged between 1.7% (Austria) to 11.7% (Finland). Milk (38.5%), fruits (29.5%), eggs (19.0%) and vegetables (13.5%) were most often implicated, although with significant age-linked variations. Medical treatment was needed by 75.7% of affected children because of a food reaction. This translates into a proxy measure for food allergy prevalence of 3.75%. Skin symptoms were widespread (71.5%), followed by gastrointestinal (27.6%) and respiratory (18.5%) symptoms. Discussion: We provide the first point prevalence of parentally perceived food allergy in the general paediatric population across the European Union. Parental reports confirm the public health significance of adverse reactions to some foods in specified age groups. Our data may inform intervention planning, cost of illness assessments and quality-of-life-enhancing public health measures.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 290-295 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | International Archives of Allergy and Immunology |
| Volume | 143 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 2007 |
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Keywords
- Food allergy prevalence
- Parental perception of food allergy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy
- Immunology
Cite this
Perceived food allergy in children in 10 european nations : A randomised telephone survey. / Steinke, Mathias; Fiocchi, Alessandro; Kirchlechner, Veronika; Ballmer-Weber, Barbara; Brockow, Knut; Hischenhuber, Claudia; Dutta, Manjula; Ring, Johannes; Urbanek, Radvan; Terracciano, Luigi; Wezel, Rainer.
In: International Archives of Allergy and Immunology, Vol. 143, No. 4, 07.2007, p. 290-295.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceived food allergy in children in 10 european nations
T2 - A randomised telephone survey
AU - Steinke, Mathias
AU - Fiocchi, Alessandro
AU - Kirchlechner, Veronika
AU - Ballmer-Weber, Barbara
AU - Brockow, Knut
AU - Hischenhuber, Claudia
AU - Dutta, Manjula
AU - Ring, Johannes
AU - Urbanek, Radvan
AU - Terracciano, Luigi
AU - Wezel, Rainer
PY - 2007/7
Y1 - 2007/7
N2 - Background: Food allergy is targeted as a public health priority by the European Union Commission. Parental perception of food allergy in their offspring is a proxy measure of the potential demand for allergy medicine services in the paediatric population. Methods: A representative sample of the general population was contacted by a randomised telephone survey in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Slovenia and Switzerland. A standardised questionnaire was administered regarding parentally perceived food allergy reports, symptoms, foods and medical service use by their live-in children. Results: 40,246 adults were polled, yielding data on 8,825 children. Parentally perceived food allergy prevalence was 4.7% (90% CI 4.2-5.2%). The most affected age group was 2- to 3-year olds (7.2%). Single-country incidence ranged between 1.7% (Austria) to 11.7% (Finland). Milk (38.5%), fruits (29.5%), eggs (19.0%) and vegetables (13.5%) were most often implicated, although with significant age-linked variations. Medical treatment was needed by 75.7% of affected children because of a food reaction. This translates into a proxy measure for food allergy prevalence of 3.75%. Skin symptoms were widespread (71.5%), followed by gastrointestinal (27.6%) and respiratory (18.5%) symptoms. Discussion: We provide the first point prevalence of parentally perceived food allergy in the general paediatric population across the European Union. Parental reports confirm the public health significance of adverse reactions to some foods in specified age groups. Our data may inform intervention planning, cost of illness assessments and quality-of-life-enhancing public health measures.
AB - Background: Food allergy is targeted as a public health priority by the European Union Commission. Parental perception of food allergy in their offspring is a proxy measure of the potential demand for allergy medicine services in the paediatric population. Methods: A representative sample of the general population was contacted by a randomised telephone survey in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Slovenia and Switzerland. A standardised questionnaire was administered regarding parentally perceived food allergy reports, symptoms, foods and medical service use by their live-in children. Results: 40,246 adults were polled, yielding data on 8,825 children. Parentally perceived food allergy prevalence was 4.7% (90% CI 4.2-5.2%). The most affected age group was 2- to 3-year olds (7.2%). Single-country incidence ranged between 1.7% (Austria) to 11.7% (Finland). Milk (38.5%), fruits (29.5%), eggs (19.0%) and vegetables (13.5%) were most often implicated, although with significant age-linked variations. Medical treatment was needed by 75.7% of affected children because of a food reaction. This translates into a proxy measure for food allergy prevalence of 3.75%. Skin symptoms were widespread (71.5%), followed by gastrointestinal (27.6%) and respiratory (18.5%) symptoms. Discussion: We provide the first point prevalence of parentally perceived food allergy in the general paediatric population across the European Union. Parental reports confirm the public health significance of adverse reactions to some foods in specified age groups. Our data may inform intervention planning, cost of illness assessments and quality-of-life-enhancing public health measures.
KW - Food allergy prevalence
KW - Parental perception of food allergy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34447553499&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34447553499&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1159/000100575
DO - 10.1159/000100575
M3 - Article
C2 - 17356296
AN - SCOPUS:34447553499
VL - 143
SP - 290
EP - 295
JO - International Archives of Allergy and Immunology
JF - International Archives of Allergy and Immunology
SN - 1018-2438
IS - 4
ER -