Diagnostic intervention improved health-related quality of life among teenagers with food allergy.

Abstract

ObjectivesThe aim was to examine if a diagnostic intervention set up to assess current food allergy to cow's milk, hen's egg, fish, or wheat among teenagers had an impact on generic and disease specific health-related quality of life (HRQL). The study compared HRQL scoring before and two years after the intervention, and in relation to age matched controls without reported food allergy.MethodsThe study was performed within the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden (OLIN) studies where a cohort study on asthma and allergic diseases among 8-year-old schoolchildren was initiated in 2006. At age 12 years, the 125/2612 (5%) children who reported allergy to cow's milk, hen's egg, fish, or wheat were invited to a diagnostic intervention including clinical examination, blood tests and evaluation by a pediatric allergist. Of 94 participants, 79 completed generic and disease specific HRQL questionnaires. Additionally, a random sample of 200 (62% of invited) children without food allergy from the OLIN cohort answered the generic HRQL questionnaire. The respondents of the HRQL questionnaires were re-examined two years later and 57 teenagers with and 154 without reported allergy participated.ResultsThere were no significant differences in generic HRQL scores between teenagers with and without reported food allergy at study entry, or after the intervention. Among those with reported food allergy, we found a significant improvement in disease specific HRQL after the intervention (mean values: 3.41 vs 2.80, pConclusionThe diagnostic intervention showed a long-term improvement of disease specific HRQL but not generic HRQL.