Perception of food allergy among parents and school health instructors: A nationwide survey in 2015

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the perception of food allergy among parents and school health instructors in Korea. METHODS: A nationwide epidemiological survey in Korea was conducted in September 2015. From 17 cities and provinces, a total of 1,000 elementary, middle and high schools were selected by stratified random sampling. Parents and school health instructors were surveyed using a questionnaire on the perception of food allergy. RESULTS: The prevalence of food-induced anaphylaxis was 22.3%. Of 252 children with anaphylaxis, 47.6% were prescribed epinephrine auto-injector (EAI). Forty-three parents (37.7%) were educated about the use of EAI. Parents carrying their own EAI at all times or keeping them at schools were 5.6% and 3.8%, respectively. For the food allergen-labeling system, 42.1% of parents read food labels, and 32.1% were satisfied with the system. Only 35.2% of school health instructors received education on food allergy and anaphylaxis, and 42.5% of them knew how to use EAI. There were 70 children (9.4%) with anaphylaxis in school, and 75.9% of schools had the emergency management system. CONCLUSION: The awareness of Korean parents and school health instructors on food allergy is still low, and many parents are dissatisfied with the food allergen labeling system. Many school health instructors have difficulty in using EAI in case of anaphylaxis and are insufficiently educated about food allergy. Therefore, it is necessary to establish more systematic food allergy management plans by providing high-quality education to parents and school health instructors and by utilizing legal systems.