title: The economic impact of childhood food allergy in the United States.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Describing the economic impact of childhood food allergy in the United States is important to guide public health policies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the economic impact of childhood food allergy in the United States and caregivers' willingness to pay for food allergy treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was conducted from November 28, 2011, through January 26, 2012. A representative sample of 1643 US caregivers of a child with a current food allergy were recruited for participation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Caregivers of children with food allergies were asked to quantify the direct medical, out-of-pocket, lost labor productivity, and related opportunity costs. As an alternative valuation approach, caregivers were asked their willingness to pay for an effective food allergy treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall economic cost of food allergy was estimated at $24.8 (95% CI, $20.6-$29.4) billion annually ($4184 per year per child). Direct medical costs were $4.3 (95% CI, $2.8-$6.3) billion annually, including clinician visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. Costs borne by the family totaled $20.5 billion annually, including lost labor productivity, out-of-pocket, and opportunity costs. Lost labor productivity costs totaled $0.77 (95% CI, $0.53-$1.0) billion annually, accounting for caregiver time off work for medical visits. Out-of-pocket costs were $5.5 (95% CI, $4.7-$6.4) billion annually, with 31% stemming from the cost of special foods. Opportunity costs totaled $14.2 (95% CI, $10.5-$18.4) billion annually, relating to a caregiver needing to leave or change jobs. Caregivers reported a willingness to pay of $20.8 billion annually ($3504 per year per child) for food allergy treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Childhood food allergy results in significant direct medical costs for the US health care system and even larger costs for families with a food-allergic child.
authors.affiliation: Smith Child Health Research Program, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois2Center for Healthcare Studies, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois3Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Ruchi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Holdford
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bilaver
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dyer
authors.forename: Jane L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Holl
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Meltzer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000191:economics*; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D014481:United States