R.M. King

The psychosocial impact of food allergy and food hypersensitivity in children, adolescents and their families: a review.

To cite this article: Cummings AJ, Knibb RC, King RM, Lucas JS. The psychosocial impact of food allergy and food hypersensitivity in children, adolescents and their families: a review. Allergy 2010; 65: 933–945.

The psychological impact of food allergy and food hypersensitivity in children, adolescents and their families

To cite this article: Cummings AJ, Knibb RC, King RM, Lucas JS. The psychosocial impact of food allergy and food hypersensitivity in children, adolescents and their families: a review. Allergy 2010; 65: 933–945.

Impact of peanut allergy on quality of life, stress and anxiety in the family.

Background:  Peanut allergy (PA) is known to impact on quality of life (QoL) of the sufferer, but little research has focused on all family members. We therefore sought to establish the impact of PA on QoL and reported anxiety of children with clinically confirmed PA, their parents and older siblings.

Management of nut allergy influences quality of life and anxiety in children and their mothers

Cummings AJ, Knibb RC, Erlewyn‐Lajeunesse M, King RM, Roberts G, Lucas JSA. Management of nut allergy influences quality of life and anxiety in children and their mothers.
Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2010: 21: 586–594.
© 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S

How do teenagers manage their food allergies

Background The peak incidence of deaths from anaphylaxis associated with nut allergy occurs in teenagers and young adults. During adolescence, the management of food allergy shifts from being the responsibility of parents to that of the young person. This is a group who therefore need special attention in the clinic.

The psychological impact of diagnostic food challenges to confirm the resolution of peanut or tree nut allergy

Twenty percent of children outgrow peanut allergy and 10% outgrow tree nut allergy. Resolution can be confirmed by a food challenge. Little is known about the psychosocial impact of the challenge. We aimed to investigate effects of a food challenge on anxiety, stress and quality of life (QoL) in children and their mothers on the day of a food challenge to peanuts or nuts, and in the months following the challenge.

What factors affect the carriage of epinephrine auto-injectors by teenagers?

BackgroundTeenagers with allergies are at particular risk of severe and fatal reactions, but epinephrine auto-injectors are not always carried as prescribed. We investigated barriers to carriage.MethodsPatients aged 12-18 years old under a specialist allergy clinic, who had previously been prescribed an auto-injector were invited to participate. Semi-structured interviews explored the factors that positively or negatively impacted on carriage.ResultsTwenty teenagers with food or venom allergies were interviewed. Only two patients had used their auto-injector in the community, although several had been treated for severe reactions in hospital. Most teenagers made complex risk assessments to determine whether to carry the auto-injector. Most but not all decisions were rational and were at least partially informed by knowledge. Factors affecting carriage included location, who else would be present, the attitudes of others and physical features of the auto-injector. Teenagers made frequent risk assessments when deciding whether to carry their auto-injectors, and generally wanted to remain safe. Their decisions were complex, multi-faceted and highly individualised.ConclusionsRather than aiming for 100% carriage of auto-injectors, which remains an ambitious ideal, personalised education packages should aim to empower teenagers to make and act upon informed risk assessments.

Validation of the Paediatric Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire (PFA‐QL)

The Paediatric Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire (PFA‐QL) was the first tool to be developed for assessing health‐related quality of life (QoL) in children with food allergy. It has been used in a number of published studies, but has not been validated.