title: Stability of parent-reported food allergy in six and 7-year-old children: the first 5 years of the Finnish allergy programme.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Finnish national allergy programme was introduced in 2008 to decrease the burden of allergy in the population. This study, carried out in 2013, evaluated the prevalence of parent-reported food allergies, treated with an avoidance diet until early school age, and discussed the rates in relation to those found in an identical study in 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  School health nurses used a structured questionnaire to interview the parents of 1653 children aged of six or seven in the first year of elementary school. The criterion for a parent-reported food allergy was that the parents considered it necessary for their child to follow an avoidance diet at school.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2013, 6.1% of the children were allergic to at least one food and 2.5% of the children were allergic to basic foods, such as cows' milk, eggs and wheat, compared with 2.7% in 2009. A significant decrease was seen in allergies to nuts, fruits and vegetables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parent-reported allergies to basic foods, such as cow's milk, eggs and wheat, remained rather stable in first graders of elementary schools during the first 5 years of the Finnish national allergy programme, but allergies to nuts, fruits and vegetables decreased.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Child Health Research, Tampere University and University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Järvenpää
authors.forename: Marita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paassilta
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salmivesi
authors.forename: Tuire
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sannisto
authors.forename: Siina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Niitty
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korppi
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Avoidance diet; Diet; Food allergy; Milk allergy; Nut allergy