J Nutr Health.  2023 Apr;56(2):184-202. 10.4163/jnh.2023.56.2.184.

Knowledge and management of food allergy by parents of preschool children who experience food allergies

• Kim SH
• Lee SM

• KMID: 2542271
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4163/jnh.2023.56.2.184

Abstract

Purpose
This study investigates the necessary educational materials from the perspective of caregivers managing food allergies of preschoolers.
Methods
An online survey enrolled 400 caregivers of preschoolers with food allergies. The study was conducted in July 2022, and data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 25.
Results
The caregivers of preschoolers with food allergies showed low food allergy knowledge. The highest percentage of incorrect answers were for items related to the cause (74.2%) and response (65.2%) to food allergies. Moreover, categorizing the levels of knowledge as high, medium, and low, we found that caregivers with younger children exhibited a better understanding of food allergies. Approximately 56.9% of subjects in the high class were caregivers with preschoolers under three years, whereas caregivers with preschoolers over four years comprised 43.2% of the high-class subjects. Regarding food allergy treatment, four questions measured how well the caregivers tended to the children. With higher levels of knowledge, caregivers were more likely to read nutrient information and check for food allergens. The caregivers of preschoolers who were clinically diagnosed with food allergies demonstrated a higher percentage of using separate ingredients and cooking utensils.
Conclusion
This study shows how the caregivers’ knowledge levels are critical in managing and treating food allergies among preschoolers. With caregivers’ lower knowledge of food allergies and preschoolers younger than four years, self-diagnosis of food allergies and existing food allergies were not managed efficiently. Hence, customized education for caregivers is essential to improve their knowledge level regarding limiting foods that may cause allergies, reading food labels, and using ingredients and cooking utensils separately.

Keyword

preschool children; food allergy; knowledge