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Factors associated with good adherence to self-care behaviours amongst adolescents with food allergy

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 20:18 authored by Christina J Jones, Carrie LlewellynCarrie Llewellyn, Anthony J Frew, George Du Toit, Somnath MukhopadhyaySomnath Mukhopadhyay, Helen Smith
Background: Our understanding of factors which affect adherence to health sustaining self-care behaviours in adolescents with food allergy is limited. This study used the Health Belief Model to explore the relationship between food allergic adolescents’ health beliefs, demographic, structural and social psychological factors with adherence to self-care behaviours, including allergen avoidance and carrying emergency medication. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 188 13- to 19- olds identified from hospital prescribed auto-injectable epinephrine for food allergy. Data were collected on demographics, structural factors, social psychological factors, health beliefs and current adherence behaviour using a postal questionnaire. Results: Full adherence was reported by 16% of participants. Multivariate analysis indicated that adherence was more likely to be reported if the adolescents belonged to a support group (OR = 2.54, (1.04, 6.20) 95% CI), had an anaphylaxis management plan (OR = 3.22, (1.18, 8.81) 95% CI), perceived their food allergy to be more severe (OR = 1.24, (1.01, 1.52) 95% CI) and perceived fewer barriers to disease management (OR = 0.87, (0.79, 0.96) 95% CI). Conclusions: Membership of a patient support group and having an anaphylaxis management plan were associated with good adherence to self-care behaviours in adolescents with food allergy. Our results suggest that interventions to improve provision and utilisation of management plans, address adolescents’ perceptions of the severity of anaphylaxis and reduce barriers to disease management may facilitate good adherence behaviours than focussing on knowledge-based interventions.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Pediatric Allergy And Immunology

ISSN

0905-6157

Publisher

Blackwell Publishing

Issue

2

Volume

26

Page range

111-118

Department affiliated with

  • Primary Care and Public Health Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2015-03-11

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