Maternal anxiety and internet‐based food elimination in suspected food allergy

Abstract

Background Food allergy is associated with stress, anxiety, and impairment in quality of life in both children and families. This study aimed to assess the anxiety of mothers in the case of suspected food allergy in their children and the influence of Internet usage on their levels of anxiety and food elimination. Methods Ninety‐two patients aged 0‐2 years presented at a pediatric allergy department following either a physicians' presumptive diagnosis or family's suspicion of food allergy (Group 1) and 99 healthy controls (Group 2) were evaluated. The clinical diagnosis of food allergy was confirmed or excluded by oral food challenge (OFC). The validated Turkish version of Spielberger State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was applied to the mothers of both groups on admission and to Group 1 3 months after OFC. Results The state and trait anxiety (STAI‐S and STAI‐T) scores were significantly higher in Group 1 than Group 2 (P < 0.001, z = 5.410, and P = 0.021, z = 2.304, respectively). Seventy‐nine mothers (85.9%) had been eliminating foods on admission. Thirty‐seven (40.2%) mothers had eliminated foods on their own. The performance of food allergy–related Web searches was significantly higher among mothers who eliminated foods by themselves than those who did not (P = 0.004, χ2 = 8.391, df = 1). The second STAI‐S score was significantly lower among mothers whose children's food allergy diagnosis was excluded than confirmed (effect size = 1.06 (95% CI: 0.56‐1.57), P = 0.001, z = 3.442). Conclusion It is important to make a correct food allergy diagnosis with a detailed allergy work‐up, including OFC, to avoid anxiety and not cause unnecessary food elimination.

Current tools measuring anxiety in parents of food‐allergic children are inadequate

“…Although there was no control group in this study, others have found higher anxiety in parents of food‐allergic children compared with controls 16 . Compared with mean STAI‐S scores from studies of mothers of patients enrolled from paediatric allergy clinics, the mean STAI‐S score for parents in this study (42.0) was higher than that reported in three studies in the United Kingdom (34.6, 36.2, 38.0), 7,17,18 and similar to a Turkish study (41.5) 19 . Normative STAI‐S data available from the Un ited Kingdom indicate a score of 33.3, 17 lower than all published studies of parents of food‐allergic children.…”

Update on food allergy

“…[14][15][16] Eighty-six per cent of mothers of children with suspected FA avoid foods on their own initiative. 17 Goldberg et al 16 have recently shown that milk-allergic young adults have reduced bone mineral density and that low calcium intake, asthma and weight constitute independent risk factors. FA can also result in an impairment of quality of life and mental health of children and their families.…”

Parental anxiety and depression levels associated with challenge tests in children with suspected drug and food allergies

“…The studies related to anxiety of parents of the children with suspected food allergy have been compared before and after OFC. The parents' anxiety level decreased after OFC [12][13][14].…”

“…Although anxiety associated with DPTs and OFCs has been reported [12][13][14], to the best of our knowledge, no studies that provide a quantitative assessment of parental anxiety and depression associated with these evaluations have yet been performed.…”