Psychosocial and productivity impact of caring for a child with peanut allergy
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Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology Open Access
RESEARCH
Psychosocial and productivity impact of caring for a child with peanut allergy Sarah Acaster1, Katy Gallop1, Jane de Vries2,3, Anne Marciniak3, Robert Ryan3 , Andrea Vereda3 and Rebecca Knibb4*
Abstract Background: Limited previous research has assessed the psychosocial burden and productivity impact of caring for a child with peanut allergy and factors associated with burden. The objective of this research was to explore caregiver burden in terms of psychosocial and productivity impact of caring for a child with peanut allergy, the influence of caregiver and child gender on caregiver burden, and factors predicting caregiver burden in peanut allergy. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of caregivers of children with peanut allergy was conducted in the United Kingdom, and included sociodemographic and clinical questions, EQ-5D, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Food Allergy Quality of Life-Parental Burden, Food Allergy Independent Measure, and productivity questions. Results: One hundred caregivers (55% female) of children with peanut allergy (aged 4–15 years) completed the survey. Male and female caregivers reported mean levels of anxiety significantly higher than United Kingdom population norms. Caregivers of children with severe peanut allergy reported significant impacts on their careers and health-related quality of life. Neither caregiver nor child gender impacted burden, indicating that male and female caregivers are equally anxious and suffer the same level of negative career, productivity, and health-related quality-of-life impact due to their child’s peanut allergy. Caregivers’ perceived risk of outcomes related to their child’s peanut allergy (e.g., death or severe reaction) as measured by the Food Allergy Independent Measure independently predicted burden. Conclusions: Caregivers of children with peanut allergy in the United Kingdom experience health-related quality-oflife, psychosocial, and productivity burden; this study demonstrates the high levels of anxiety reported by both male and female caregivers. Keywords: Peanut allergy, Caregiver, Parental burden, Health-related quality of life, Productivity, Psychosocial burden Background Peanut allergy affects between 0.6% and 1% of the adult population and between 1% and 3% of children in the developed world [1, 2], and studies suggest the prevalence is increasing in the United Kingdom (UK) [3]. There is currently no approved treatment for peanut allergy outside of the United States; therefore, management *Correspondence: [email protected] 4 Department of Psychology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
requires strict avoidance of peanuts and emergency treatment in the case of accidental ingestion. Previous research has identified several areas of caregivers’ health-related quality of life (HRQL) that are affected by having a child with food allergy. Parents
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