Prevention Strageties Used in Michigan Schools to Prevent Food Allergy Reactions

Kassab, D.; Robinson, Eileen A.; Singal, Bonita; Akin, Cem; McMorris, Marc

doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2008.12.726

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…This paper is the largest qualitative study to‐date to report school‐related food allergy management challenges among students and families. While the existing research has reported on disease management strategies, variation in policies in the school setting, and lack of preparedness of school staff to address food allergies, few studies describe the impact of school food allergy policies on affected students and families from their own perspectives . As our participants described, they largely carry the burden of food allergy management, especially when school policies are poorly articulated or underdeveloped.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Food Allergy Management at School

Dupuis

Kinsey

Spergel

et al. 2020

Journal of School Health

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BACKGROUND: Approximately 8% of schoolchildren in the United States experience potentially life-threatening food allergies.They must diligently avoid allergenic foods and have prompt access to epinephrine to treat anaphylaxis. These prevention strategies must be sustained without interruption, posing a range of challenges at school. METHODS:We conducted semi-structured interviews with 178 participants about their experiences managing food allergies outside the home. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using an iterative approach in NVivo 10. RESULTS:Participants reported highly varied school experiences across the ecological model. They described the need to be proactive and self-sufficient to manage food allergies. Whereas food allergy-related social exclusion was common, participants also described positive peer interactions, including intensive peer engagement and support. They perceived that formal school policies were limited in scope and inconsistently implemented. Prevention-oriented policies were more common in lower grades than in higher grades. CONCLUSIONS:Poorly defined and implemented policies disrupted students' social and educational experiences at school, families' relationships with school staff, and, ultimately, the safety and wellbeing of students with allergies. Given the high prevalence of food allergies among children, these findings demonstrate the need for multiple layers of support to facilitate safe, socially inclusive food allergy management at schools. F ood allergy prevalence is on the rise, and an estimated 8% of children ages 0-17 in the United States are affected. 1 Food-induced anaphylaxis, a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction, resulted in a 285% increase in pediatric (ages 5-17) emergency department visits between 2005 and 2014. 2 Food allergy management demands diligent avoidance of allergenic foods and uninterrupted access to life-saving epinephrine. Both strategies require sustained behavioral control, presenting particular challenges for adolescents. Approximately 18% of children with food allergies experience a reaction at school over

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Food Allergy Management at School

Dupuis

Kinsey

Spergel

et al. 2020

Journal of School Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Despite the study cohort all receiving a personalised AAP from the allergy clinic, 34% of parents did not provide the school/preschool CCS with this. Previous studies across the world report rates of 15–79% of children without an AAP in school [ 15 , 21 , 22 ]. Parents should be advised and reminded at clinic appointment to provide their school/preschool CCS with an AAP on a yearly basis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors influencing accidental food allergic reactions in schools and preschools

Crealey

Byrne

2023

Ir J Med Sci

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Background Children spend a large proportion of their childhood in schools. In Ireland, there is no government policy on the management of food allergy (FA) in schools or preschool childcare settings (CCS). There is limited data worldwide on rate of accidental allergic reactions (AARs) within these settings. Aim The aim of this paper is to report the management of FA and the incidence of AARs in Irish school or preschool CCS. Methods A prospective observational study was established, enrolling children aged 2 to 16 years with confirmed FA. Participants were contacted at three monthly intervals for 1 year to report AARs to food. Data pertaining to schools and preschool CCS is reported here. Results A total of 521 children (402 attending school and 119 attending preschool CCS) were enrolled. The annualised incidence of AARs in school was 4.5% (95% CI 2.6–7.0) and in preschool CCS 5% (95% CI 1.8–11.1); 6 of 7 of the nut reactions occurred in schools banning nuts. Half (3/6) of the preschool reactions were to cow’s milk; 174/521 (33%) children did not provide their individualised allergy action plan (AAP). Four out of 18 (22%) AARs in school were anaphylaxis and none were administered adrenaline by school staff. Conclusion The incidence of AARs in this Irish cohort was found to be equivalent to the international experience. However, many of the recorded reactions identified in this study were likely avoidable. Preparation for AARs needs optimising. The ineffectiveness of “nut bans” remains unrecognised. Promoting milk and egg allergy resolution in infancy would likely reduce preschool- and school-based reaction numbers.

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“…Much of the existing food allergy research has focused on managing the food allergy, 10 varying school food allergy policies, 11‐16 and the training of school staff to handle food allergies 17‐20 . There are far less studies on how school food allergy policies impact children and families 5,21‐23 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Qualitative Investigation of Parent and Child Perceptions of School Food Allergy Policies in the United States

Vollmer

Girsch

Foster

2021

Journal of School Health

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BACKGROUND Many schools implement well‐intentioned food allergy policies; however, may not ease parents'/children's worry and concern. The purpose of this study was to (1) explore children's and parents' perceptions their school's food allergy policy and (2) compare these perceptions to the documented school policy. METHODS Children ages 8 to 18 with a food allergy and their parents (N = 18 pairs) across the US completed one‐on‐one semi‐structured, audio‐recorded phone interviews. School food allergy policies were collected from school websites. Content analysis was applied to the transcriptions by two investigators to identify themes among parents and children. RESULTS Parents and children described policies may impact the child's social and/or emotional well‐being. Many opportunities for improvement were provided by parents and children. There is a wide variation in food allergy policies across the schools in this study, and overall, parents and children thought that policy enforcement needs to be improved. CONCLUSIONS With so much variation in food allergy policies in schools coupled with inconsistent enforcement, parents and children may feel unsafe or unsupported by the school. Schools should adopt a team‐ or whole‐school approach to develop and enforce policies that help protect children with food allergies.

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Prevention Strageties Used in Michigan Schools to Prevent Food Allergy Reactions

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Food Allergy Management at School

Food Allergy Management at School

Factors influencing accidental food allergic reactions in schools and preschools

A Qualitative Investigation of Parent and Child Perceptions of School Food Allergy Policies in the United States

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