Illness perception of adolescents with allergic conditions under specialist care

Abstract

Background: Our understanding of how adolescents perceive and cope with their allergic condition/s is limited. This study used the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ) in a group of adolescents with allergies and correlates the findings with demographic and clinical conditions. Methods:In this retrospective questionnaire-based study, we analysed 100 valid questionnaires from adolescents (11-18 years) attending our service after receiving management and treatment for their allergic condition/s. Results:The overall BIPQ score was 4.8 (IQR 3.6-5.6). The highest item-related scores were for "timeline" (illness duration) followed by "concern." The lowest scores were found for "coherence/understanding," demonstrating that adolescents do not perceive that they have a sound understanding of their condition/s. We found a significant difference in the overall BIPQ scores between the genders and in the emotional representation score, with females showing a highest score. Older adolescents reported a more chronic perception of the allergic disease/s. Conclusion:Our results suggest that a better understanding and support of the allergic condition/s in adolescents, particularly in females, are likely an important target for intervention intended to improve their quality of life. BIPQ can be used as adjunct to routine allergy clinic appointments for further exploration of the wider impact of allergies on adolescents' lives. K E Y W O R D S adolescent, allergy, BIPQ, brief Illness perception questionnaire, illness perception, quality of life How to cite this article: James P, Caballero MR. Illness perception of adolescents with allergic conditions under specialist care.

Beliefs about food allergies in adolescents aged 11–19 years: A systematic review

“…After having FA for some time, some adolescents grew accustomed to having FA and expressed acceptance and resignation 24 and looked to balance risk, so the FA did not dominate their lives. 9 , 34 In MacKenzie et al.’s 8 sample aged between 13 and 18 years, they learned to adapt to having FA while younger participants were more frustrated by barriers from their FA. In contrast, Dean et al.’s 29 sample showed that younger participants (8–12 years) were more relaxed and considered FA a ‘diet’ whereas older participants (13–17 years) reported that it was ‘a big deal’ and considered life or death.…”

“…Differences in beliefs may be attributed to different ages, suggesting this may impact beliefs about identity. After having FA for some time, some adolescents grew accustomed to having FA and expressed acceptance and resignation 24 and looked to balance risk, so the FA did not dominate their lives 9,34 . In MacKenzie et al.’s 8 sample aged between 13 and 18 years, they learned to adapt to having FA while younger participants were more frustrated by barriers from their FA.…”

“…Included papers had some limitations which may impact the quality of the research, with the majority of studies having very small sample sizes; four studies featuring 10 or less relevant participants, 8 , 21 , 22 , 34 and Saleh‐Langenberg et al.’s 30 study also had a small sample size for quantitative analysis, with 55 participants who were not demographically defined. Non‐response bias was also not reported.…”

Allergic rhinitis: impact on quality of life of adolescents

“…AR: allergic rhinitis, ARC: allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, AC: allergic conjunctivitis, AD: atopic dermatitis. Adapted from reference 11 with permission.APPROACHING THE PATIENTEffect of allergic rhinitis on health related quality of life (HRQoL)AR and ARC have significant physical and mental impacts on the HRQoL of adolescents 12. Apart from the adverse effects of most antihistamines, which include sedating effects, AR/ARC leads to school absences and poorer performance due to distraction, fatigue and irritability.…”

Asthma from infancy to childhood, and allergy perception in adolescents

“…In the third study featured in this editorial, Polly James and M. Rosario Caballerio studied a very relevant issue strongly influencing patient adherence to the treatment, that is, illness perception of allergic adolescents . In this study, the authors used the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ) in adolescents with allergies and correlated findings with demographic and clinical conditions.…”