title: Parents' estimate of food allergy prevalence and management in Italian school-aged children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the increasing prevalence of food allergy, few studies have assessed the prevalence of perceived food-induced symptoms among school-aged children. There is also a paucity of data on how children with food reactions are managed. We investigated the frequency and characteristics of perceived food reactions in school-aged children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children aged 5-14 years were included in this cross-sectional study. A standardized self-administered questionnaire on food reactions was handed out to 900 parents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We achieved a response rate of 69%. The lifetime prevalence of parental perceived allergic reactions to food was 10.5%; the point prevalence was 1.6%. Medical care included a call to a general practitioner in 54% of cases, self-management in 37%, an emergency call in 6%, and hospitalization in 3%. Antihistamines were administered in 45% of food reactions, topical steroids in 24%, oral or parenteral steroids in 16%, and epinephrine in 1.5%. In children who reported food reactions, skin prick tests for foods were performed in 54% of cases; the oral food challenge test was performed in 7.5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parent perception of food allergic disorders is common in school-aged children. Few children have undergone diagnostic tests to ascertain clinical food hypersensitivity. This is warranted to avoid unnecessarily restricted diets. Efforts should be made to train primary care physicians to manage food-allergic children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Age, Pediatric Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. carlo.caffarelli@unipr.it
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caffarelli
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coscia
authors.forename: Erminia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ridolo
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Povesi Dascola
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gelmett
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Raggi
authors.forename: Elio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Volta
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vanell
authors.forename: Pier Paolo
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Dall'Aglio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires