A survey on prevalence and parents’ perceptions of food allergy in 3- to 16-year-old children in Wuhan, China

Background: The prevalence of food allergy (FA) has risen in recent decades, yet there is limited data on the cognition and beliefs of FA among the parents of FA children. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of FA and assess the knowledge and perception of FA among parents of FA children in Wuhan, China. Methods: Online questionnaires were conducted for the parents of 3- to 16-year-old children. They reported symptoms of suspected FA in the screening questionnaire were interviewed for further diagnostic evaluation. All the parents of the suspected FA children completed the subsequent assessments of the knowledge and perception on FA as well as their attitude towards the current online platforms. Results: A total of 1963 children were recruited. The prevalence of self-reported FA was 10.2% (95% CI: 8.1–12.4%) and the physician-diagnosed FA was 6.2% (95% CI: 5.1–7.2%) in 3- to 16-year-olds in Wuhan. And the children with family history (57.9%) were predisposed to developing FA (P＜0.001). The total Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ) score was 41.3 ± 10.0 among the parents. The B-IPQ scores correlated with symptom onset, but not with family history or other atopic comorbidities. The parents who never sought treatments obtained lower B-IPQ scores on most items compared to those who received treatments. The accuracy rate of the FA knowledge questionnaire was 56.7%. 11.6% of participants reported that children's FA had an impact on their lives. 67.2% of participants had searched information of FA online, among whom 80% expected to obtain professional suggestions on management and prevention strategies of FA from online platform. Conclusion: In 3- to 16-year-old children in Wuhan, the prevalence of self-reported and physician-diagnosed FA was 10.2% and 6.2% respectively. Parents’ knowledge of FA was insufficient and only a small proportion of parents perceived that their lives and careers have been affected considerably by FA of their children. Patient education and current online platforms should be improved among parents of FA children.