Parents of Children With Food Allergy: Gender Differences in Perceived Impact and Perceived Food Allergy Severity

Overview

Journal J Pediatr Psychol

Publisher Oxford University Press

Date 2016 Jul 19

PMID 27424484

Citations 7

Authors

Jessica L Hoehn

Lynnda M Dahlquist

Amy L Hahn

Mary Elizabeth Bollinger

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To compare fathers' and mothers' perceptions of the impact and severity of their child's food allergy and their levels of involvement in allergy-related care.

Methods: One hundred parents of children with food allergy (50 mother-father pairs) rated the severity of their child's food allergies and completed the Food Allergy Impact Scale. A subset of 52 parents reported how often they engaged in food allergy-related care.

Results: Mothers reported more impact than fathers for meal preparation, family social activities, and stress and free time, and significantly greater involvement in allergy-related care. Fathers who reported more frequent medical appointment attendance perceived meal preparation as being significantly more impacted by food allergy than fathers who were less involved.

Conclusions: Fathers who are less involved may be buffered from experiencing the impact of their child's health condition. Differences in involvement rather than other gender differences may explain discrepancies in mothers' and fathers' illness perceptions.

Citing Articles

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Correlation between nutritional status and children's activity with food allergy: A cross-sectional study.

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Psychosocial and productivity impact of caring for a child with peanut allergy.

Acaster S, Gallop K, de Vries J, Marciniak A, Ryan R, Vereda A Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2020; 16:83.

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