Evaluation of a group intervention for children with food allergy and their parents.
BACKGROUND
Children with food allergy and their parents may experience substantial stress related to the risk of serious reactions and the demands of allergy management.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate a group intervention for children with food allergy and their parents designed to increase parent-perceived competence in coping with food allergy and to decrease the parent-perceived burden associated with food allergy.


METHODS
Sixty-one children aged 5 to 7 years with food allergy and their parents attended 1 of 4 half-day workshops, with parent and child groups run concurrently. Parents completed self-report measures of perceived competence in coping with food allergy at 3 time points: preworkshop (within 8 weeks of the intervention), postworkshop (immediately after the intervention), and follow-up (4-8 weeks after the intervention). Parents completed a measure of burden associated with food allergy at preworkshop and follow-up. Parents and children also completed evaluations of the study intervention.


RESULTS
Parent-perceived competence in coping with food allergy increased significantly from preworkshop to postworkshop and follow-up, and parent-perceived burden associated with food allergy decreased from preworkshop to follow-up. Parent and child evaluations of the workshop were favorable.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings provide preliminary support for the effectiveness and feasibility of a group intervention for children with food allergy and their parents and suggest the importance of controlled evaluations of group interventions in this population in the future.
LeBovidge
Jennifer S
JS
Division of Immunology, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. jennifer.lebovidge@childrens.harvard.edu
Timmons
Karol
K
Rich
Christine
C
Rosenstock
Addie
A
Fowler
Kirsten
K
Strauch
Heather
H
Kalish
Leslie A
LA
Schneider
Lynda C
LC
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000523:psychology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires