Impact of an Educational Tool on Quality of Life and Anxiety in Parents of Children With Nut Allergy

Summary

The number of young children with food allergy, in particular with nut allergy, is increasing worldwide. A diagnosis of nut allergy can cause much anxiety in parents. They worry about their child being exposed to nuts in foods when outside the home. This anxiety can lead to these young children being restricted from taking part in normal childhood activities.

Last year, the investigators conducted a study Recording accidental allergic reactions in children's and teenagers (ReAACT) in which they surveyed over 500 children with food allergy attending our clinic, in order to learn more about their participation in social activities and their practices in relation to eating outside the home.

In the present study, the investigators wish to build upon these results through using the findings to develop a programme to help to lessen the fear and anxiety experienced by parents of young children with newly diagnosed nut allergy. The investigators imagine that knowledge of how other families with children who have food allergy participate in activities involving food outside of the home might help newly diagnosed families.

The investigators would like to know if parents of young children newly diagnosed with nut allergy would benefit from hearing this information. In order to do this, the investigators have developed a short online programme that parents can take part in, in their own homes. Content will focus on the day to day social activities of children with food allergy, based on the findings of the REAACT study. To help the investigators to measure the effectiveness of this programme on reducing anxiety and improving quality of life, they are asking all volunteer participants to complete 4 questionnaires. Two of these questionnaires will ask a parent to indicate 1) the impact of their child's nut allergy on their quality of life and 2) on their child's quality of life. The third questionnaire will ask about their level of anxiety. The fourth questionnaire will ask about their emotions and the coping strategies they use in the context of their child's food allergy.

Participants will be randomized into 2 groups. Group 1 will take part in the online education session along with the usual education provided by the allergy team. The questionnaires will be completed online using only a study identifier number. This will ensure anonymity throughout the study. The only personal information that will be asked is parent's age group, whether they are a mother or father, their child's age and gender and whether they have any other allergies.

Two weeks following the online educational session, Groups 1 and 2 will again complete the online questionnaires.

The research question is to determine if the online educational session is effective at decreasing anxiety and improving quality of life in parents of young children with nut allergy. The outcomes are health related quality of life and level of anxiety. It is hoped that the findings will positively support parents, children and their families in Ireland who are living and managing nut allergy on a daily basis.

Conditions

• Child Allergy
• Food Allergy

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

"living with food allergy" educational booklet

An educational booklet giving information on social and eating out habits as well as reaction rates in food allergy Irish children.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Children's Health Ireland

  lead OTHER_GOV

Principal Investigators

• Miranda Crealey, MD · Children's Health Ireland

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-05-25

Primary Completion

2021-06-30

Completion

2021-06-30

Countries

• Ireland

Study Locations