Supporting self-care for food allergy anaphylaxis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Supporting self-management for young people with food allergy at risk of anaphylaxis: developing digital resources
IRAS ID
317292
Contact name
Elizabeth Angier
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Food allergy anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction to a food causing symptoms such as difficulty breathing or collapse. It can have a large negative impact on quality of life as patients have to live daily with the uncertainty of the possible accidental consumption of the food and a severe reaction. Young people at risk of anaphylaxis can suffer from anxiety, feeling isolated and difficulty with social interactions and relationships with food. They and their families can become quite fearful without good support and information. The fatality rate of anaphylaxis remains stable in the UK at about 20 a year however the rate of anaphylaxis and presentation to hospital is increasing. Treatment of food allergy at present mainly consists of avoidance of the known food and rapid recognition of a reaction and early administration of an adrenaline injection.
Barriers to management include lack of understanding of the recognition of anaphylaxis, difficulties with perception of risk, lack of self advocacy, not carrying adrenaline devices or not knowing how and when to use them and concern about side effects of adrenaline.Aims
To improve the health outcomes of young people with food allergy by giving them high quality accessible information to help them self manage trigger avoidance and acute reactions, increasing their confidence in every day interactions.Methods
1.Interview young people and parents or carers of young people to explore barriers and facilitators to living with food allergy and the risk of anaphylaxis and the management of food avoidance and of an acute reaction to food.
2.Develop an "online toolkit(i.e. website)" to support young people at risk of anaphylaxis to obtain up to date information about anaphylaxis and food allergy to support effective management particularly around at risk situations and the acute management of a reaction.
3.Refine toolkit with think aloud interviews.REC name
London - Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/PR/0417
Date of REC Opinion
11 May 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion