Parental self-efficacy in food allergy management: Determinants and challenges.

BACKGROUND

Food allergy management requires dietary adherence, prevention of accidental exposures, and prompt reaction management. Identifying sociodemographic factors linked to low self-efficacy may improve management.

METHODS

This study was conducted among parents of children diagnosed with food allergy who presented to our clinic. Participants completed the Turkish version of the Food Allergy Self-Efficacy Scale for Parents (T-FASE-P, previously validated as EBA-ÖZ) and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES).

RESULTS

A total of 280 parents (mothers, 85.4%; fathers, 14.6%) were included in the study. Of the children, 64.6% were boys and 35.4% were girls. The median parental age was 33 years (20-59), and the median child age was 25.5 months (3-213). Parents of children with egg and cow's milk allergy had lower T-FASE-P scores, while carrying an epinephrine auto-injector and baked egg tolerance were associated with higher scores (p < .05). Lowest scores related to school safety, cross-contamination, and travel. In multivariable analyses, only school attendance (p = .004) and cow's milk allergy (p = .002) remained significant. Subscale analyses showed that school attendance was associated with prevention and recognition/management (p = .002), parental employment with social activities (p < .001), and IgE-mediated allergy with recognition/management (p = .027), whereas cow's milk allergy was consistently associated with lower scores across all subscales (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

This study evaluated parental self-efficacy in relation to demographics. Cow's milk allergy was associated with lower, and carrying an adrenaline auto-injector with higher self-efficacy. These findings emphasize the need for targeted support for families managing high-risk allergens.