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Beliefs and practices among adults with eczema and carers of children with eczema regarding the role of food allergy
Author(s) -
Chan J.,
Ridd M. J.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
clinical and experimental dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1365-2230
pISSN - 0307-6938
DOI - 10.1111/ced.13955
Subject(s) - medicine , food allergy , atopic dermatitis , allergy , pediatrics , health professionals , young adult , family medicine , health care , gerontology , dermatology , immunology , economics , economic growth
Summary In this study, 211 carers of children and adults with atopic eczema/dermatitis ( AE ) completed an online questionnaire about diet and allergy. The study group comprised 106 children [mean age 5 years, Patient‐Oriented Eczema Measure ( POEM ) score mean ± SD 13.8 ± 7.8] and 105 adults (mean age 35 years, POEM score 14.5 ± 7.5). We found that 57% of respondents had discussed the role of diet in AE with a health professional and 38% felt this discussion was unhelpful or very unhelpful. Regarding testing, 54% reported having had an allergy test. Food exclusion was common; 68% of children and 46% of adults excluded one or more foods from their diet, with 40% of children and 52% of adults doing so to reduce AE symptoms. The most commonly avoided food among both children (63%) and adults (50%) was cow's milk. Only 17% of adults with modified diets had received dietary advice from a dietitian, compared with 57% of children. Clinicians should routinely ask patients about their views of diet in eczema and any changes that they have made, offering objective assessment where appropriate.