Food Allergy Awareness among Parents of Food Allergic Child in Saudi Arabia

AbstractPediatric food allergy is associated with direct, indirect and intangible costs. However, it remains unclear if intangible costs of pediatric food allergy influence parental career choices. Using data from 63 parents whose children had been diagnosed by a pediatric allergist with food allergy, we sought to (a) establish perceived life status of families with a food allergic child, and (b) to describe any career limitations viewed as attributable to food allergy. Compared to responding parents whose children had one to two food allergies, those with three or more food allergies had significantly poorer perceived life status (ß − 0.74; 95%CI − 1.41; − 0.07; p < 0.05). Overall, 14.3% of parents (all mothers) reported career limitations due to food allergy. Two of the 7 mothers (28.6%) who reported career limitations due to their child's food allergy fell below Statistics Canada cut-off for low-income, after tax dollars (LIM-AT). One of the three mothers who had changed jobs because of their child's food allergy was below the LIM-AT. No fathers reported food allergy-related career limitations. In conclusion, mothers of children with multiple food allergies reported worse perceived life status that may be partly explained by food allergy-related career limitations.

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Prevalence, Risk Factors, Clinical Manifestation, Diagnosis Aspects and Nutrition Therapy in Relation to both IgE and IgG Cow’s Milk Protein Allergies among a Population of Saudi Arabia: A Literature Review

Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal ◽

10.12944/crnfsj.9.2.02 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 375-389

Author(s):

Mashail A Baghlaf ◽

Noura M S Eid

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Food Allergy ◽

Clinical Manifestation ◽

Milk Protein ◽

Immunoglobulin E ◽

Cow Milk ◽

Cow’S Milk ◽

Cow's Milk ◽

Cow’S Milk Protein

Cow milk protein allergy (CMPA) becoming a major public health issue that has attracted the attention of health professionals and researchers. This paper aimed to review the important aspects of both IgE and IgG types of cow’s milk protein allergy in terms of prevalence, clinical manifestation, risk factors, other health-related issues and nutritional therapy proposed for such allergies in the adult and pediatric population in Saudi Arabia. A search on “cow’s milk allergy” was done using PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus Engine for published papers between 1993 and 2020 to find studies yielding knowledge on that context. The prevalence of cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA) among infants is now in the range of 2–3%. This type of allergy is also detected in adulthood but less frequently. CMPA is defined as an immunological reaction to specific proteins in milk. CMPA is classified based on its type as an immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated form and an immunoglobulin G (IgG)-mediated form, each type representing different immunological pathways. The presence of Genetic aspects, family history and short duration of breastfeeding in the infant are among the risk factors contributing to this form of allergy. Its manifestations mainly present as skin presentation, followed by the gastrointestinal and respiratory presentation in most cases in addition to a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction that may occur in 12% of cases. food allergy committees have developed strict diagnosis criteria, including blood testing for food-specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE), a skin prick test and double-blind placebo-controlled food challenges (DBPCFC) as the gold standard. A diet free of cow’s milk protein (CMP) allergen and including the appropriate alternative milk formula is the first line of prevention recommended by many organizations and food allergy experts. As for Saudi Arabia, more research and clinical trials are required to discuss the various aspects of adult and pediatric CMPA and to provide a better understanding along with good control strategies implementation.

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Prevalence of Self-Reported Food Allergies and Their Association with Other Health Conditions among Adults in Saudi Arabia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18010347 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 347

Author(s):

Nora A. Althumiri ◽

Mada H. Basyouni ◽

Norah AlMousa ◽

Mohammed F. AlJuwaysim ◽

Nasser F. BinDhim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bariatric Surgery ◽

At Risk ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Food Allergy ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Health Conditions ◽

Food Allergies ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

And Gender

Food allergies are a potentially life-threatening health issue, and few studies have determined their prevalence throughout Saudi Arabia. The main objective of our study was to estimate the prevalence and distribution of self-reported food allergies, and explore their association with other health conditions among adults in Saudi Arabia. This study was a nationwide cross-sectional survey conducted via phone interviews in June 2020. A proportional quota-sampling technique was used to obtain equal distributions of participants by age and gender across the 13 regions of Saudi Arabia. Self-reported food allergy, height, weight, health conditions, mental health status, and demographic variables were collected. Of the 6239 participants contacted, 4709 (75.48%) participants responded and completed the interview. Furthermore, 50.1% of the participants were female, with a mean age of 36.4 ± 13.5 years (18–90 years). The prevalence of food allergies was 19.7%. The most self-reported food allergies were egg, shellfish and shrimp, and peanuts, with a prevalence of 3.7%, 3.1%, and 3.0%, respectively. There was an association between the presence of food allergies and reported bariatric surgery, asthma, colon disease, and being at risk of depression. Bariatric surgery was significantly associated with lower likelihood of self-reported allergy (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.22–2.34, p = 0.002). This study revealed, for the first time, a high prevalence of self-reported food allergies among adults in Saudi Arabia in a large nationwide sample, and food allergy association with bariatric surgery, asthma, colon disease, and being at risk of depression. This information is valuable for clinicians and policymakers, particularly in terms of food allergen labeling.

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Food Allergy Knowledge and Attitudes Among School Teachers in Jazan, Saudi Arabia

The Open Allergy Journal ◽

10.2174/1874838401809010001 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Gassem Gohal

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Food Allergy ◽

Middle Eastern ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

School Teachers ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Web Based ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Level Of Knowledge

Background: Food allergy topic has become more widely discussed in developed countries, but with less interest in Middle Eastern Arabian Countries. Objectives: The main objective of this paper is to assess the knowledge and perception of schoolteachers about food allergy. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among a sample of 360 school teachers between May 2013 and February 2014 in province of Jazan in Saudi Arabia, using a validated web-based self-administered survey. Results: The results revealed that almost (59.7%) of the schoolteachers had a medium insufficient knowledge about food allergy; only 17.3% had good knowledge about food allergy. Female teachers had higher knowledge scores (58.5 ± 17.2) as compared to male (51.8 ± 16.0) with statistically significant difference (p = 0.017). The majority of schoolteachers have a significantly poor knowledge in most of food allergy domains. More than half of responders either do not know or they disagree that the food allergy is a serious problem and can lead to death. Regression analysis revealed that participant’s level of knowledge is significantly associated with school teacher’s attitudes towards food allergy (OR = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.39 - 0.92, p = 0.01), practice (OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.11 - 2.56, p = 0.01), and years of experiences (OR = 1.8, 95% CI; 1.15 - 2.98, p = 0.011). Conclusion: Knowledge of food allergy among schoolteachers is not adequate, failing to recognize and treat fatal food allergy reactions necessitate an urgent need to set a school policy to improve the food allergy situation.

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The excess costs of childhood food allergy on Canadian families: a cross-sectional study

Allergy Asthma & Clinical Immunology ◽

10.1186/s13223-021-00530-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Michael A. Golding ◽

Elinor Simons ◽

Elissa M. Abrams ◽

Jennifer Gerdts ◽

Jennifer L. P. Protudjer

Keyword(s):

Food Allergy ◽

Indirect Costs ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Direct Costs ◽

Median Income ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Pediatric Allergy ◽

Allergic Child ◽

Household Costs ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background The impact of childhood food allergy on household costs has not been examined in Canada. The current study sought to examine differences in direct, indirect, and intangible costs among Canadian families with and without a food-allergic child. Methods Families with a child with a specialist-diagnosed food allergy (cases) were recruited from two tertiary pediatric allergy clinics in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, and matched, based on age and sex, to families without a food-allergic child (controls). Cost data for the two groups were collected via an adapted version of the Food Allergy Economic Questionnaire (FA-EcoQ). Consideration was given to income, defined as above vs. below the provincial annual median income. Results Results from 35 matched case/control pairs revealed that while total household costs did not significantly differ between cases and controls, food-allergic families did incur higher direct costs ($12,455.69 vs. $10,078.93, p = 0.02), which were largely attributed to spending on food. In contrast, cases reported lower, but not statistically significant, total indirect costs compared to controls ($10,038.76 vs. $12,294.12, p = 0.06). Families also perceived their food-allergic child as having poorer quality of life relative to their healthy peers. Lastly, stratification of the analyses by annual income revealed several differences between the higher and lower income groups. Conclusions Relative to families without a food-allergic child, food-allergic families incurred higher direct costs across a number of different areas.

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Knowledge and awareness about food allergy among mothers with allergic children in Taif city, Saudi Arabia

International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries ◽

10.24911/ijmdc.51-1569571928 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 49-53

Author(s):

Nahed Gomaa ◽

Taghreed Abdullah ◽

Wardah Alharthi ◽

Amal Altowairqi ◽

Sarah Binbaz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Food Allergy

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Ruling out food allergy in pediatrics and preventing the "march" of the allergic child

Allergy and Asthma Proceedings ◽

10.2500/aap.2006.27.2924 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

pp. 306-311 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Alessandro Fiocchi ◽

Gabriel R. Bouygue ◽

Luigi Terracciano ◽

Teresita Sarratud ◽

Alberto Martelli

Keyword(s):

Food Allergy ◽

Allergic Child

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Response of food-allergic consumers to new allergen-labelling legislation in Saudi Arabia

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980021002500 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-32

Author(s):

Wejdan T. Alghafari ◽

Afnan A. Alghanmi ◽

Atheer A. Attar ◽

Danah A. Alolayan ◽

Nehal A. Alamri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Food Allergy ◽

Food Allergen ◽

Food Products ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Food Allergens ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Prepacked Food ◽

Allergen Labelling

Abstract Objective: Preventing a food allergy reaction depends primarily on eliminating allergens from the diet. In October 2019, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) introduced new legislation requiring food establishments providing and selling non-prepacked foods to state the presence of the top 14 food allergens on their menus. This study aimed to assess the allergen-labelling knowledge, practices, preferences and perceptions towards the new SFDA allergen-labelling legislation among consumers with food allergy in Saudi Arabia. Design: Observational cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire. Setting: Saudi Arabia; February–March 2020. Participants: Residents of Saudi Arabia with food allergy (n=427), aged 18-70 years. Results: Among participants, only 28.1% knew that there were governmental regulations in Saudi Arabia regarding food-allergen labelling and approximately two-thirds (67%) check labels on prepacked food products for allergens. The majority of the participants preferred food products carrying safety statements (84.1%) and symbols (80.1%). A total of 47.1% were aware that regulations in Saudi Arabia require allergens to be declared in ingredient lists, while 48.7% were aware that advisory allergen labelling is mandatory. Only 26.2% were aware of the new SFDA legislation regarding provision of allergen information by food establishments. However, the majority (94.4%) were supportive of the new legislation, and most of them were more likely to eat at restaurants that reported allergen information for food items on the menu. Conclusions: The new SFDA food allergen-labelling legislation needs to be more widely and effectively disseminated to increase the level of awareness among adults with food allergy in Saudi Arabia.

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