Food allergy in preschool age: Knowledge evaluation of teachers and educational assistants

Ashworth, Joanna; Cardoso, Juliana da Silva; Pinto, Diana; Teixeira, F.; Araújo, Ana Rita

doi:10.1111/apa.16521

Cited by 1 publication

(3 citation statements)

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“…Our study is in agreement with previous studies showing deficiencies in establishing and implementing emergency management plans for relieving allergic reactions in schools 16 18 34. Only a quarter of our study participants (25.2%) reported that an emergency plan exists in their school for managing allergic reactions.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…Several studies have shown that there is a deficiency in FA knowledge and negative attitudes toward FA among school teachers and nurses. [14][15][16][17] Such limitations in FA knowledge and attitudes were attenuated by FA-related training, with studies showing improvements in teachers' FA knowledge, confidence and attitudes following training. [18][19][20][21][22][23] Given that teachers are considered the first line of management in a school setting and child safety is of utmost importance, ongoing assessments and FA training are needed to better prepare teachers.…”

Section: Open Accessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hence, prevention, recognition and management of FA reactions in schools are crucial to the safety of allergic children. Several studies have shown that there is a deficiency in FA knowledge and negative attitudes toward FA among school teachers and nurses 14–17. Such limitations in FA knowledge and attitudes were attenuated by FA-related training, with studies showing improvements in teachers’ FA knowledge, confidence and attitudes following training 18–23.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Food allergy knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of kindergarten teachers in Kuwait: a cross-sectional study

Madooh

Allahou

Alshallal

et al. 2023

bmjpo

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BackgroundFood allergy (FA) affects up to 10% of children globally, with clinical symptoms varying from mild to severe, and in rare instances, it is life-threatening. Approximately one in five children with FA experience a food-induced allergic reaction in school, leaving teachers as the first line of intervention. This study aimed to assess kindergarten teachers’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding FA.MethodsThis cross-sectional study enrolled kindergarten teachers in Kuwait using stratified cluster sampling. The Chicago Food Allergy Research Survey for the General Public was used to assess teachers’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding FA. The overall FA knowledge score was calculated for each participant. The χ2test was used to assess the differences in the distribution of categorical variables.ResultsResponses were obtained from 882 public kindergarten teachers from 63 kindergartens. Most teachers (81.9%) encountered students with FA in their classrooms. Only 13.5% of the teachers reported receiving training in FA. Overall, participants scored an average of 52.2% on the FA knowledge assessment, with participants receiving prior training in FA scoring on average higher than those with no prior training in FA (55.9% vs 51.6%, p=0.005). A few teachers (10.7%) were aware that lactose intolerance was not equivalent to milk allergy. In terms of attitudes regarding FA, only 14.9% of the participants acknowledged that children with FA are teased/stigmatised due to their condition, and 33.7% recognised that avoidance of allergenic food is difficult. Moreover, only 9.9% of the teachers self-reported their ability to use an epinephrine autoinjector.ConclusionsImproved knowledge and awareness of FA among public kindergarten teachers in Kuwait are needed to ensure the safety of children with FA in schools. Teachers should be trained to prevent, recognise and manage FA-related allergic reactions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%