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. 2022 Dec 6;18(1):103.
doi: 10.1186/s13223-022-00745-4.

Associations between food allergy, country of residence, and healthcare access

Kaitlyn A Merrill  1   2 , Elissa M Abrams  3   4   5 , Sara V Good  6   7 , Ruchi S Gupta  8 , Carina Venter  9 , Tara Lynn M Frykas  10 , Michael A Golding  3   4 , Jennifer L P Protudjer  3   4   10   11   12
Affiliations

Associations between food allergy, country of residence, and healthcare access

Kaitlyn A Merrill et al. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. .

Abstract

Background: To date, little consideration has been given to access to allergy-related care, despite the fact that food allergy affects a considerable proportion of children. As such, the current study aimed to describe access to food allergy-related services in Canada and the United States (US).

Methods: Participants were recruited via social media from March-July 2021 and were asked to complete an online survey focused on food allergy-related medical care. Participants were Canadian and US residents who live with a child < 18 years old, with ≥ 1 food allergy. A series of logistic regressions were used to assess the associations between country of residence and type of allergy testing utilized during diagnosis.

Results: Fifty-nine participants were included in the analysis (Canadian: 32/59; 54.2%; US residents: 27/59; 45.8%). Relative to Canadian participants, US respondents were less likely to be diagnosed using an oral food challenge (OFC; OR 0.16; 95% CI 0.04; 0.75: p < 0.05). Compared to children diagnosed by age 2 years, those diagnosed at age 3 years and older were less likely to have been diagnosed using an OFC (OR 0.12; 95% CI 0.01; 1.01; p = 0.05).

Conclusions: Access to food allergy-related services, varies between Canada and the US. We speculate that this variation may reflect differences in clinical practice and types of insurance coverage. Findings also underscore the need for more research centered on food allergy-related health care, specifically diagnostic testing, among larger and more diverse samples.

Keywords: Canadian healthcare; Food allergy; Healthcare access; Oral food challenge; United States healthcare.

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Conflict of interest statement

KAM declares no competing interests. EMA is an employee of Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC); views expressed are her own and not those of PHAC. SVG declares no competing interests. RSG receives research support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (R21 ID # AI135705, R01 ID # AI130348, U01 ID # AI138907), Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), Melchiorre Family Foundation, Sunshine Charitable Foundation, The Walder Foundation, UnitedHealth Group, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Genentech. She serves as a medical consultant/advisor for Genentech, Novartis, Aimmune LLC, Allergenis LLC, and Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE). Dr. Gupta has ownership interest in Yobee Care, Inc. She is currently employed by Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and is a Professor of Pediatrics & Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. CV reports grants from Reckitt Benckiser, grants from Food Allergy Research and Education, grants from National Peanut Board, during the conduct of the study; personal fees from Reckitt Benckiser, Nestle Nutrition Institute, Danone, Abbott Nutrition, Else Nutrition, and Before Brands, outside the submitted work. TLMF declares no competing interests. MG declares no competing interests. JLLP sits on the steering committee for Canada’s National Food Allergy Action Plan; is Section Head of Allied Health, Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology; and report consulting fees for Novartis and Nutricia.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Association between number of oral food challenge diagnostic tests provided in Canada vs. the US
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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