title: Quality of life is more impaired in patients seeking medical care for food allergy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Food allergy (FA) affects 2-4% of adults, but only a small percentage visit an outpatient clinic for a thorough evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A matched case-control study was used to compare health-related quality of life (HRQL) of the Dutch general population that did not seek medical care for their FA with outpatients who did seek medical care. All participants were diagnosed as food allergic (i.e. with a suggestive history and corresponding positive IgE). HRQL was measured using the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire--Adult Form (FAQLQ-AF). A food allergy independent measure (FAIM) was used to evaluate the adult's perception of the severity of his/her disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total FAQLQ-AF score in individuals who never visited a doctor for their FA was significantly lower than that of patients who sought medical care (2.4 vs. 3.9, p = 0.03), indicating that the former had a better quality of life than patients who did seek medical care. Regarding the different domains of FAQLQ, the score for allergen avoidance and dietary restrictions and the score for emotional impact (EI) was significantly higher in the group that sought medical care (p = 0.02 and 0.03, respectively), indicating the importance of these domains. The FAIM score was significantly higher in the group that sought medical care, indicating that they perceived their FA as more severe.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients who seek medical care for their FA have a more impaired HRQL and perceive their FA as more severe. Food avoidance and issues related to the EI of FA are key areas of intervention aimed at improving HRQL in patients with FA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Thuy-My
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Le
authors.forename: Bertine M J
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Flokstra-de Blok
authors.forename: Els
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Hoffen
authors.forename: Ans F M
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Lebens
authors.forename: Nicole J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Goossens
authors.forename: Anthony E J
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Dubois
authors.forename: Carla A F M
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bruijnzeel-Koomen
authors.forename: André C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Knulst
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult