The impact of childhood food allergy on quality of life.

TLDR: Childhood food allergy has a significant impact on GH, PE, and FA, and factors that influence reductions in these scales include associated atopic disease and the number of foods being avoided.

Abstract: Background Food allergy affects >6% of children, but the impact of this disease on health-related quality of life has not been well studied. Methods Parental perceptions of physical and psychosocial functioning were measured with the Children's Health Questionnaire (CHQ-PF50). This tool and an additional allergy-related questionnaire were sent to 400 members of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network with children aged 5 to 18, an age group on which the tool has been validated. Results Surveys were completed by 253 parents (63%). The mean age of the food-allergic children was 10.8 years (range, 5 to 18 yrs); 59% were male. Sixty-eight percent were allergic to one or two foods, the remainder to more than two foods. Concomitant chronic atopic diseases included: asthma with atopic dermatitis (33%), atopic dermatitis alone (13%), asthma alone (33%), and 21% had neither asthma nor atopic dermatitis. In comparison to previously established norms, the families scored significantly lower (more than 10 scale score points lower and P P = 0.0001), but not for measures of PE and FA. Within the study group, food-allergic individuals with several (more than two) food allergies had significantly lower ( P P Conclusions Childhood food allergy has a significant impact on GH, PE, and FA. Factors that influence reductions in these scales include associated atopic disease and the number of foods being avoided.