Survey of Food Allergy Perception of Teachers and Operators of Child Care Facilities: Focusing on Jung-gu and Dong-gu in Daejeon

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to investigate the status of food allergy knowledge and management of the teachers and operators of child care facilities in the Daejeon Area. Surveys of 262 teachers and 50 operators of child care facilities in Dong-gu and Jung-gu in Daejeon were conducted. The prevalence of food allergies was found to be 3.6% (102 children). The average score of teachers in the anaphylaxis knowledge survey was 0.18±0.22. Additionally, the needs for food allergy education among teachers and operators was 88.2% and 98%, respectively. The survey revealed that all child care facilities in this study provide food service menus to parents, but only 14 facilities (28%) provided alternative food to children with food allergies, and some of these 14 facilities did not provide adequate alternatives. To ensure the safety and healthy growth of children with food allergies, it is necessary to provide food allergy education to teachers and operators, as well as to establish safe food service and allergy management systems in all child care facilities.