Kids with food allergies may feel unsafe at school
January 30th, 2011 - 12:58 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Jan 30 (ANI): Young people who have experienced life-threatening anaphylactic shock from specific food exposures have significantly different views of the risks associated with their allergies based on their age and can benefit from discussing their perceptions of the safety of their school environment in improving their ability to cope, a new research by Canadian researchers suggests.
The study consulted directly with children about their experiences living with and managing a chronic medical condition that requires them to be keenly alert to their surroundings.
The study involved 20 children and teenagers and is considered exploratory by the authors, who caution against broader conclusions because of its limited sample size.
Ten children aged eight through twelve and ten teenagers, all of whom have potentially life-threatening food allergies, were selected from public schools in Ontario, Canada.
Their conditions are severe enough many have to carry an injectable form of adrenaline to treat episodes should they begin reacting to an unanticipated exposure to a food allergen.
Both age groups identified environmental and social barriers that contributed to feelings of isolation, exclusion or being teased. Missing out on school activities, camps, or time with friends was common.
Close friends provide key support to allergic kids but the subjects identified the greatest barrier to safety as stemming from uninformed or misinformed educators and others.
Young children relied more on parents and teachers to cope, whereas adolescents often anxiously fended for themselves by avoiding risky foods, educating others, navigating confusing food labels and quickly escaping from unsafe places.
Some felt disempowered and overburdened and even developed symptoms like constant hand washing or waiting to eat until an adult was present who was available to drive them to the hospital.
For teenagers, one successful coping strategy was redefining what is “normal” given their potentially life-threatening reactions to certain food exposures such as tree nuts and some seafood.
The study has been published in the journal Risk Analysis. (ANI)
- Urban kids more likely to develop food allergies - Jun 08, 2012
- No need to ban peanuts in schools, airlines: Study - Nov 15, 2010
- Children with food allergies are often victims of bullying: Study - Sep 28, 2010
- Boiling shrimps may reduce shellfish allergens: Study - Feb 22, 2010
- Food-allergy fears lead to overly restrictive diets - Nov 05, 2010
- Blame your gut for your skin allergies - May 03, 2011
- Breast fed kids to develop nut allergies - Jul 13, 2012
- MIT scientists devise better way to detect food allergies - May 24, 2010
- Why do peanuts trigger allergic reactions? - Feb 12, 2010
- Beware: A kiss could trigger allergic reaction - Nov 21, 2010
- Sunshine likely to protect kids from eczema - Feb 05, 2012
- Soon, simple test to detect peanut allergy - Jan 12, 2010
- Kids with less Vitamin D more likely to have allergies - Feb 25, 2011
- First-born kids 'more likely to suffer from allergies' - Mar 29, 2011
- Few high-quality studies on food allergies, say researchers - May 12, 2010
Tags: adolescents, adrenaline, age groups, allergen, allergic kids, canadian researchers, chronic medical condition, close friends, exposures, food allergen, food labels, kids with food allergies, ontario canada, parents and teachers, perceptions, public schools in ontario, risky foods, school environment, schools in ontario, social barriers