A workgroup of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) has developed a set of easy-to-read educational handouts targeted at caregivers of children by age group as well as older children with food allergies.
The handouts received high marks from a panel of caregivers and stakeholders according to a study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. They were developed for distribution in healthcare settings and are available online.
Said Jennifer S LeBovidge, PhD, attending psychologist in the division of immunology at Boston Children’s Hospital and assistant professor in psychology at Harvard Medical School to Healio:
Food allergy practice guidelines recommend that food allergy education should be an ongoing process.
Our team of allergists and psychologists from the AAAAI Psychosocial Impact of Food Allergies Work Group saw an unmet need for age-specific, evidence-based, practical resources to help families confidently navigate these transitions and gradually involve children in their own food allergy management over time to build their skills and confidence.
Added Dr LeBovidge about the process:
A number of caregivers provided feedback around the important issue of teaching other people who care for the child about food allergy management, including the suggestion that the handouts might be useful to share with friends, extended family members, babysitters and teachers.
The researchers cautioned that additional refinements were necessary for older children and adolescents who would be expected to play a more significant role in managing their own food allergies.
They also commented that the reviewers were primarily white, English speaking, and highly educated with high incomes. They plan to continue to gather feedback from a more diverse population.
The handouts will eventually be translated into Spanish.
You can download the handouts from the series by clicking the headings below:
- Educational handouts aim to help families manage, cope with pediatric food allergy — Healio
- Food Allergy Stages Handouts — AAAAI
- The Development of Age-Based Food Allergy Educational Handouts for Caregivers and Patients—A Work Group Report of the AAAAI Adverse Reactions to Foods Committee — JACI: In Practice
