To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Accidental Food Allergy Exposure Risk Affected by Household Income: Presented at ACAAI URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/2174EE.htm Doctor's Guide November 16, 2007
By Carole Bullock DALLAS, TX -- November 16, 2007 -- Accidental food allergy exposures occur more often among children in low-income households than those from higher income households, researchers reported here at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) 65th annual meeting. Food allergies, which affect about 6 to 8 percent of children, are the leading cause of anaphylaxis seen in emergency departments in the United States, Ekta Shah, MD, Fellow, Allergy and Immunology, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, US, reported in a poster presentation on November 11. To determine factors that contribute to the accidental exposure to food allergens, the researchers examined factors such as food allergens, household income, parental educational level, race/ethnicity, insurance status, and household language. However, the focus was on income level and non-English speaking households, which the researchers suspected might be prime contributors. "We found that the prevalence was greatest in low income families, but there was no relationship between education, language, and insurance status," Dr. Shah said in an interview. The participants in the study had tested positive for confirmed food allergy, defined as a prior food allergen exposure leading to an allergic response and a positive skin test or ImmunoCAP test within 3 months of being admitted to a university-based Paediatric Allergy and Immunology Outpatient Clinic. Among the children with food allergies, 53% were from homes with household incomes above $100,000; 41% of patients had accidental exposure to food allergens. Of the children who had the accidental exposures, 67% had household incomes below the Cook county median income level of $40,000, and 34% had household incomes above the Cook county median income level (P =.005). The researchers said the finding indicates that physicians may need to spend more time educating low-income families on food allergies, and research should continue to focus to identify other contributors to accidental exposures. No funding was provided for the study and the authors have no disclosures to report. [Presentation title: Accidental Food Allergy Exposures: Who Is at Risk? Abstract 202] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.