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Review
. 2020 Feb 14;20(2):6.
doi: 10.1007/s11882-020-0898-7.

Epidemiology and Burden of Food Allergy

Christopher M Warren  1   2 , Jialing Jiang  1 , Ruchi S Gupta  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Epidemiology and Burden of Food Allergy

Christopher M Warren et al. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: In recent decades, food allergy has become an increasing concern for families, clinicians, and policymakers. This review aims to summarize what is currently known about the epidemiology and population-level burden of IgE-mediated food allergy, including its effects on quality of life.

Recent findings: Prevalence surveys, healthcare utilization data, and findings from longitudinal cohort studies across the globe indicate that food allergy imposes a growing societal burden. Worryingly, recent data indicate that food allergies may be more prevalent among adult populations than previously acknowledged, with many reported cases of adult-onset allergies. While it remains unclear how much of the current population-level burden of disease results from true, IgE-mediated allergy, as much epidemiological data does not incorporate clinical confirmation of disease prevalence-it is clear that affected individuals suffer impairments in their quality of life and incur substantial economic costs-beyond the physical health burden imposed by anaphylaxis.

Keywords: Burden of disease; Food allergy epidemiology.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Population-based estimates of current pediatric food allergy prevalence in countries around the world
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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