Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Jun;16(6):341-4.
doi: 10.1093/pch/16.6.341.

Socioeconomic factors and epinephrine prescription in children with peanut allergy

Robin Coombs  1 , Elinor Simons, Richard G Foty, David M Stieb, Sharon D Dell
Affiliations

Socioeconomic factors and epinephrine prescription in children with peanut allergy

Robin Coombs et al. Paediatr Child Health. 2011 Jun.

Abstract
in English, French

Background: Epinephrine autoinjectors provide life-saving therapy for individuals with peanut allergies. OJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and epinephrine prescription among urban Canadian children with peanut allergy.

Methods: Population-based survey data from school children in grades 1 and 2 participating in the Toronto Child Health Evaluation Questionnaire were used. Children with peanut allergy, their epinephrine autoinjector prescription status and their SES were identified by parental report.

Results: Between January and April 2006, 5619 completed questionnaires from 231 Toronto, Ontario, schools were returned. A total of 153 (2.83%) children were identified as having a peanut allergy, 68.6% of whom reported being prescribed an epinephrine autoinjector. Children from upper-middle and high-income homes (OR 8.35 [95% CI 2.72 to 25.61]) and with asthma (OR 4.74 [95% CI 1.56 to 14.47]) were more likely to report having an epinephrine prescription.

Conclusion: A significant health disparity exists in the prescribing pattern of epinephrine autoinjectors for peanut-allergic children from families of differing SES.

HISTORIQUE :: Les auto-injecteurs d’adrénaline offrent une thérapie salvatrice aux personnes allergiques aux arachides.

OBJECTIF :: Évaluer l’association entre le statut socioéconomique (SSÉ) et la prescription d’adrénaline à des enfants canadiens de milieu urbain allergiques aux arachides.

MÉTHODOLOGIE :: Les auteurs ont utilisé les données d’une étude en population auprès d’enfants de 1re et 2e année qui avaient participé au Toronto Child Health Evaluation Questionnaire. Ils ont dépisté les enfants allergiques aux arachides, leur statut de prescription d’auto-injecteur d’adrénaline et leur SSÉ d’après le compte rendu des parents.

RÉSULTATS :: Entre janvier et avril 2006, les auteurs ont reçu 5 619 questionnaires remplis provenant de 231 écoles de Toronto, en Ontario. Au total, il a été établi que 153 (2,83 %) enfants étaient allergiques aux arachides, dont 68,6 % ont déclaré s’être fait prescrire un auto-injecteur d’adrénaline. Les enfants de ménages à revenu moyen-supérieur ou à revenu élevé (RRR 8,35 [95 % IC 2,72 à 25,61]) et les enfants asthmatiques (RRR 4,74 [95 % IC 1,56 à 14,47]) étaient plus susceptibles de déclarer avoir reçu une prescription d’adrénaline.

CONCLUSION :: On constate une importante disparité en matière de santé dans le modèle de prescription d’auto-injecteur d’adrénaline aux enfants allergiques aux arachides provenant de familles aux SSÉ différents.

Keywords: Epidemiology; Health disparities; Peanut allergy; Socioeconomic status.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Sampson HA. Clinical practice. Peanut allergy. N Engl J Med. 2002;346:1294–9. - PubMed
    1. Bock SA, Munoz-Furlong A, Sampson HA. Further fatalities caused by anaphylactic reactions to food, 2001–2006. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007;119:1016–8. - PubMed
    1. Pumphrey RS, Gowland MH. Further fatal allergic reactions to food in the United Kingdom, 1999–2006. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007;119:1018–9. - PubMed
    1. Simons FE. 9. Anaphylaxis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008;121:S402–7. quiz S20. - PubMed
    1. Bock SA, Munoz-Furlong A, Sampson HA. Fatalities due to anaphylactic reactions to foods. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001;107:191–3. - PubMed