title: Parental self-efficacy in managing food allergy and mental health predicts food allergy-related quality of life.
abstract: Food allergy has been shown to have a significant impact on quality of life (QoL) and can be difficult to manage in order to avoid potentially life-threatening reactions. Parental self-efficacy (confidence) in managing food allergy for their child might explain variations in QoL. This study aimed to examine whether self-efficacy in parents of food allergic children was a good predictor of QoL of the family.
  
  
  
  Parents of children with clinically diagnosed food allergy completed the Food Allergy Self-Efficacy Scale for Parents (FASE-P), the Food Allergy Quality of Life Parental Burden Scale (FAQL-PB), the GHQ-12 (to measure mental health) and the Food Allergy Independent Measure (FAIM), which measures perceived likelihood of a severe allergic reaction.
  
  
  
  A total of 434 parents took part. Greater parental QoL was significantly related to greater self-efficacy for food allergy management, better mental health, lower perceived likelihood of a severe reaction, older age in parent and child and fewer number of allergies (all p < 0.05). Food allergy self-efficacy explained more of the variance in QoL than any other variable and self-efficacy related to management of social activities and precaution and prevention of an allergic reaction appeared to be the most important aspects.
  
  
  
  Parental self-efficacy in management of a child's food allergy is important and is associated with better parental QoL. It would be useful to measure self-efficacy at visits to allergy clinic in order to focus support; interventions to improve self-efficacy in parents of food allergic children should be explored.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Rebecca C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Knibb
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, College of Life and Natural Sciences, University of Derby, Derby, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, College of Life and Natural Sciences, University of Derby, Derby, UK.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stalker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens
keywords: confidence; food allergy; parents; quality of life; self-efficacy