Developing a food allergy curriculum for parents

Tuesday, 01 March 2011 09:07

World-renown pediatric allergist Dr. Scott Sicherer, and colleagues from the Consortium of Food Allergy Research have conducted multiple focus groups among parents of children with food allergies and found evidence to suggest there is a need for a comprehensive curriculum for food allergic families.

The participants of the focus groups said they often sought information about food allergies from non-medical sources such as the Internet and support groups. However, they also reported that difficulties gaining access to resources plus their uncertainty regarding reliability of the information they received created stress. The authors believe that improving access to clear and concise educational materials would likely reduce stress and anxiety and improve quality of life of those families living with food allergies.

Reference: Vargas et al. 2011. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-3038.2011.01152.x.