BACKGROUND: Food allergy affects 5-6% of children and impairs health-related quality of life (HRQL). Children and parents may differ in their views concerning the child's HRQL. In food allergy, child- and parent-proxy-reported HRQL have never been compared using valid disease-specific instruments. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare child- and parent-proxy reports on HRQL in food-allergic children (8-12 years). METHODS: The Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Child Form (FAQLQ-CF), and -Parent Form (FAQLQ-PF) and the Food Allergy Independent Measure-Child Form and -Parent Form (FAIM-CF and -PF) were completed by Dutch food-allergic child-parent pairs. Child- and parent-proxy reports were correlated and tested for significant differences. Construct validity (Spearman's correlation coefficient between the FAQLQs and FAIMs) and internal consistency (Cronbach's α) were assessed and compared. RESULTS: Seventy-four child-parent pairs were included. The FAQLQ-CF score was significantly higher than the FAQLQ-PF score (3.74 vs. 2.68, P<0.001, where 1 indicates no impairment and 7 indicates extreme impairment). FAIM-CF and -PF scores were almost identical (3.29 vs. 3.33, P=0.594). There was moderate agreement between the FAQLQ-CF and -PF scores (ICC=0.57 [P<0.001]) and good agreement between the FAIM-CF and -PF scores (ICC=0.80 [P<0.001]). Construct validity was confirmed for the FAQLQ-CF (ρ=0.60, P<0.001) and -PF (ρ=0.58, P<0.001). Internal consistency was excellent for the FAQLQ-CF (α=0.95) and -PF (α=0.95). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Parents reported significantly less impact of food allergy on the child's HRQL than children themselves, while reported perceptions of disease severity were nearly identical. This may reflect real differences in perspectives between children and parents and may indicate that parents tend to underestimate their child's HRQL impairment. It is important for clinicians to include both the child's and their parent's perceptions in order to perform a complete assessment of the impact of food allergy on the child's HRQL and to identify areas of disagreement that need special attention in clinical practice.
BACKGROUND:Food allergy affects 5-6% of children and impairs health-related quality of life (HRQL). Children and parents may differ in their views concerning the child's HRQL. In food allergy, child- and parent-proxy-reported HRQL have never been compared using valid disease-specific instruments. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare child- and parent-proxy reports on HRQL in food-allergicchildren (8-12 years). METHODS: The Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Child Form (FAQLQ-CF), and -Parent Form (FAQLQ-PF) and the Food Allergy Independent Measure-Child Form and -Parent Form (FAIM-CF and -PF) were completed by Dutch food-allergicchild-parent pairs. Child- and parent-proxy reports were correlated and tested for significant differences. Construct validity (Spearman's correlation coefficient between the FAQLQs and FAIMs) and internal consistency (Cronbach's α) were assessed and compared. RESULTS: Seventy-four child-parent pairs were included. The FAQLQ-CF score was significantly higher than the FAQLQ-PF score (3.74 vs. 2.68, P<0.001, where 1 indicates no impairment and 7 indicates extreme impairment). FAIM-CF and -PF scores were almost identical (3.29 vs. 3.33, P=0.594). There was moderate agreement between the FAQLQ-CF and -PF scores (ICC=0.57 [P<0.001]) and good agreement between the FAIM-CF and -PF scores (ICC=0.80 [P<0.001]). Construct validity was confirmed for the FAQLQ-CF (ρ=0.60, P<0.001) and -PF (ρ=0.58, P<0.001). Internal consistency was excellent for the FAQLQ-CF (α=0.95) and -PF (α=0.95). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Parents reported significantly less impact of food allergy on the child's HRQL than children themselves, while reported perceptions of disease severity were nearly identical. This may reflect real differences in perspectives between children and parents and may indicate that parents tend to underestimate their child's HRQL impairment. It is important for clinicians to include both the child's and their parent's perceptions in order to perform a complete assessment of the impact of food allergy on the child's HRQL and to identify areas of disagreement that need special attention in clinical practice.
Authors: Alfredo J Lucendo; Laura Arias-González; Javier Molina-Infante; Ángel Arias Journal: United European Gastroenterol J Date: 2017-04-21 Impact factor: 4.623
Authors: Marie-Ange Einaudi; Marie-Claude Simeoni; Catherine Gire; Pierre Le Coz; Sophie Condopoulos; Pascal Auquier Journal: Health Qual Life Outcomes Date: 2012-09-28 Impact factor: 3.186
Authors: Zoe Morou; Georgios N Lyrakos; Nikolaos G Papadopoulos; Nikolaos Douladiris; Athina Tatsioni; Ioannis D K Dimoliatis Journal: Health Psychol Res Date: 2016-06-23
Authors: Darío Antolín-Amérigo; Luis Manso; Marco Caminati; Belén de la Hoz Caballer; Inmaculada Cerecedo; Alfonso Muriel; Mercedes Rodríguez-Rodríguez; José Barbarroja-Escudero; María José Sánchez-González; Beatriz Huertas-Barbudo; Melchor Alvarez-Mon Journal: Clin Mol Allergy Date: 2016-02-17
Authors: Victoria Thörnqvist; Roelinde Middelveld; Hay Mar Wai; Natalia Ballardini; Evalill Nilsson; Jennie Strömquist; Staffan Ahlstedt; Lennart Jan Nilsson; Jennifer L P Protudjer Journal: Clin Transl Allergy Date: 2019-02-07 Impact factor: 5.871