Teacher opinion of the role of food allergy on school behavior and achievement.
There seems to be a common belief in the lay community and in some professional groups that food allergy is a prominent factor in the academic and behavioral problems of many school-age children. This is in spite of an available body of medical and social science literature to the contrary. This survey of teachers indicates their strong conviction of the role of certain foods, especially those containing sugar, in influencing such behaviors as attention, alertness, motivation, concentration, and activity level. Additionally, over half of those interviewed considered such problems with food an allergy or wondered if they were. These data suggest the need for improved communication between the medical and educational communities to prevent inappropriate responses to school-related problems and misreferrals to physicians for primarily educational problems.
McLoughlin
J A
JA
School of Education, University of Louisville, Kentucky.
Nall
M
M
D000124:Achievement; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D006948:Hyperkinesis / Q000209:etiology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*