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Quality of life of children aged 8‐12 years undergoing food allergy oral immunotherapy: Child and parent perspective
Author(s) -
EpsteinRigbi Na'ama,
Goldberg Michael R.,
Levy Michael B.,
Nachshon Liat,
Elizur Ar
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.363
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1398-9995
pISSN - 0105-4538
DOI - 10.1111/all.14350
Subject(s) - medicine , oral immunotherapy , food allergy , allergy , dosing , quality of life (healthcare) , pediatrics , oral food challenge , peanut allergy , immunology , nursing
Background Oral immunotherapy (OIT) for food allergy improves the quality of life (QOL) of children from parental perspective but little is known about the child perception. Methods The Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire—Child Form (FAQLQ‐CF) was administered to children aged 8‐12 years, and the FAQLQ—Parent Form (FAQLQ‐PF) was administered to their parents at the start of OIT for milk, egg, peanut, sesame, or tree nuts, at the end of up‐dosing, and after 6 months of follow‐up. Food‐allergic children not undergoing OIT served as controls. Children QOL scores were compared to their parents. Results The total FAQLQ‐CF score of 103 children undergoing OIT improved significantly from start of OIT (median (IQR); 4.8, 3.8‐5.7) to end of up‐dosing (3.9, 3‐5.2) ( P < .001). A greater improvement was noted in the 56 children who reached a follow‐up visit, from 5.0 (3.7‐5.8) at OIT start to 3.1 (1.8‐5.0) on follow‐up, ( P < .001). In contrast, FAQLQ‐CF scores of control patients improved mildly and nonsignificantly between the two time points from 5.3 (4.3‐5.7) to 4.8 (3.6‐6.0), ( P = .13). The improvement in the total FAQLQ‐CF scores from OIT start to follow‐up was significantly greater compared to the change in control patients during observation ( P = .015). Parents reported better QOL scores compared to their children at all stages of OIT (start 4.0, 3.2‐5, P = .004; end of up‐dosing 2.9, 1.9‐4.7, P = .04; follow‐up 2.2, 1.6‐3.6, P = .003). Conclusions QOL of food‐allergic children undergoing OIT improves significantly compared to controls. Parents perceive QOL to be better than the perception of the children.