title: A population study of food intolerance.
abstract: We did a population study to identify the prevalence of reactions to eight foods commonly perceived to cause sensitivity in the UK. A cross-sectional survey of 7500 households in the Wycombe Health Authority area and the same number of randomly-selected households nationwide was followed up by interviews of positive respondents from the Wycombe Health Authority area. Those who agreed entered a double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge study to confirm food intolerance. 20.4% of the nationwide sample and 19.9% of the High Wycombe sample complained of food intolerance. Of the 93 subjects who entered the double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge, 19.4% (95% confidence interval 11.4%-27.4%) had a positive reaction. The estimated prevalence of reactions to the eight foods tested in the population varied from 1.4% to 1.8% according to the definition used. Women perceived food intolerance more frequently and showed a higher rate of positive results to food challenge. There is a discrepancy between perception of food intolerance and the results of the double-blind placebo-controlled food challenges. The consequences of mistaken perception of food intolerance may be considerable in financial, nutritional, and health terms.
authors.affiliation: Amersham Hospital, Department of Dermatology, Bucks, UK.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Stoneham
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petruckevitch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rona
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003663:Decision Trees; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012648:Self Care; D012744:Sex Ratio; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos