title: A Survey of Self-Reported Food Allergy and Food-Related Anaphylaxis among Young Adult Students at Kuwait University, Kuwait.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To conduct a survey on self-reported food allergy to milk, egg, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, and sesame, as well as reported food-related anaphylaxis and epinephrine prescription practices among Kuwaiti students attending Kuwait University.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand questionnaires that included data on age, gender, presence of food allergies, and associated details were distributed. All participants reporting an allergy were categorized as having a perceived food allergy. Those with a convincing clinical history and history of undergoing diagnostic food allergy testing were further categorized as having a probable food allergy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1,000 questionnaires, 865 (86.5%) were completed. Of the 865 students, 104 (12.02%) reported food allergy (perceived), and 47 of these (45.19%) were probable food allergies. For milk (46.7%), peanut (35.7%), fish (60%), and sesame (50%), probable food allergy occurred in early childhood (≤5 years) while those of egg (44.4%) and wheat (57.1%) occurred in late childhood (6-10 years), and shellfish (40%) occurred in early adolescence (11-15 years). Of the 47 students with a probable food allergy, 28 (59.6%) were moderate to severe: 20 (71%) of these moderate-to-severe allergy cases reported at least 1 food-related anaphylactic episode while 8 (29%) denied such episodes. Equally important, of the 28 students, 6 (21%) received an autoinjectable epinephrine prescription, while 22 (79%) did not receive any.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study the reported occurrence of perceived food allergy was low and probable food allergy occurred mostly in early childhood. Milk, egg, and nut allergies were the most commonly reported in both groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Al-Jabriya, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ali
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents; D004837:Epinephrine
keywords: Anaphylaxis; Food allergy; Kuwait