Depression, anxiety, and quality of life levels in mothers of children with IgE-mediated food allergy and food protein–induced allergic proctocolitis
Main Article Content
Keywords
Food allergy, Depression, Anxiety, Quality of life, Children, Mothers
Abstract
Background: Childhood food allergies are known to cause various psychosocial disorders in parents and caregivers. The aim of this study is to determine the levels of depression, anx-iety, and quality of life in mothers whose children have IgE-mediated food allergy or food protein–induced allergic proctocolitis (FPIAP).
Methods: Mothers of children under 5 years of age with IgE-mediated food allergy or FPIAP and healthy children of the same age were administered the Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAIT-TRAIT), and the Short Form for Quality of Life Measurement-36 (SF-36).
Results: A total of 126 mothers were included in the study: Forty-two each in the IgE-mediated group, the FPIAP group, and the healthy control group. Mothers in the IgE-mediated group and FPIAP group had higher depression and STAIT anxiety scores than mothers in the control group (Both p-values are <0.001, and the eta squared values were 0.364 and 0.555, respectively). TRAIT anxiety scores of mothers in the IgE-mediated group were significantly higher than mothers in both the FPIAP group and the control group (Both p-values are <0.001, and the eta squared value was 0.641). Role limitations because of physical health, role limitations because of emotional health, energy/fatigue, emotional well-being, social functioning, and general health scores of mothers in the IgE-mediated group were lower than mothers in the control group (All p-values are <0.001, and the eta squared values were 0.185,0.197, 0.626, 0592, 0.274, and 0.342, respectively).
Conclusion: Mothers of children with both IgE-mediated food allergy and FPIAP may experience higher rates of depression and anxiety disorders, as well as decreased quality of life. Mothers of children with IgE-mediated food allergies experience more psychosocial disorders than mothers of children with FPIAP.
References
2. Daley SF, Lopez CM, Mendez MD. Food Allergies. [Updated 2025 May 5]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan. Available from: https:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482187/
3. Westwell-Roper C, To S, Andjelic G, Lu C, Lin B, Soller L, et al. Food-allergy-specific anxiety and distress in parents of children with food allergy: a systematic review. Pediatr. Allergy Immunol. 2022;33(1):e13695. https://doi.org/10.1111/ pai.13695
4. Goodwin RD, Rodgin S, Goldman R, Rodriguez J, deVos G, Serebrisky D, et al. Food allergy and anxiety and depression among ethnic minority children and their caregivers. J. Pediatr. 2017;187:258–64.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jpeds.2017.04.055
5. Beck depresyon envanteri. Available from; https://androloji. org.tr/androlojiDATA/Document/25112014164858-10-BECK-DEPRESYON-ENVANTERI.pdf. Accessed 10 January 2024.
6. Öner, N. ve Le Compte, A. (1998). Süreksiz Durumluk/Sürekli Kaygı Evanteri El Kitabı.(2.Basım). İstanbul: Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Yayınevi.
7. Hisli N, Beck Depresyon Envanteri’nin geçerliliği üzerine bir çalışma. Psikoloji Dergisi 1988; 6:118-122. Available from; Beck Depresyon Envanteri|TOAD. Accessed 10 January 2024.
8. Koçyiğit H, Aydemir Ö, Fişek G, Ölmez N, Memiş AK. Form-36 (KF-36)’nın Türkçe versiyonunun güvenilirliği ve geçerliliği. Ilaç ve tedavi dergisi. 1999;12(2):102–6.
9. Feng C, Kim JH. Beyond avoidance: the psychosocial impact of food allergies. Clin. Rev. Allergy Immunol. 2019;57(1):74–82. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12016-018-8708-x
10. Morou Z, Tatsioni A, Dimoliatis ID, Papadopoulos NG. Health-related quality of life in children with food allergy and their parents: a systematic review of the literature. J. Investig. Allergol. Clin. Immunol. 2014;24(6):382–95.
11. Williams NA, Hankey M. Support and negativity in inter-personal relationships impact caregivers’ quality of life in pediatric food allergy. Qual. Life. Res. 2015;24(6):1369–78. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-014-0862-x
12. Zhang J, Xie M, Liao X, Zhang Y, Chen H. Effect of symptom levels of children’s food allergy on maternal depression: A cross-sectional and cohort study. Actas Esp Psiquiatr. 2024;52(3):248–55. https://doi.org/10.62641/aep.v52i3.1642
13. Bingemann TA, LeBovidge J, Bartnikas L, Protudjer JLP, Herbert LJ. Psychosocial impact of food allergy on children and adults and practical interventions. Curr. Allergy Asthma Rep. 2024;24(3):107–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s11882-023-01121-x
14. Celik P, Yilmaz D, Yuksel F, et al. Behavioral feeding problems and parenting stress in toddlers with food protein-induced allergic proctocolitis. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2025;134(2):223-230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2024.11.003
15. Strinnholm A, Brulin C, Lindh V. Experiences of double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges (DBPCFC): a qualitative analysis of mothers’ experiences. J. Child Health Care. 2010;14(2):179–188. https://doi.org/10.1177/ 1367493509359227
16. Annunziato RA, Shemesh E, Weiss CC, Izzo GN, D’Urso C, Sicherer SH. An assessment of the mental health care needs and utilization by families of children with a food allergy. J. Health Psychol. 2013;18(11):1456–1464. https://doi. org/10.1177/1359105312464675
17. Muraro A, Werfel T, Hoffmann-Sommergruber K, Roberts G, Beyer K, Bindslev-Jensen C, et al. EAACI food allergy and anaphylaxis guidelines: diagnosis and management of food allergy. Allergy. 2014;69(8):1008–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/ all.12429
18. Chong KW, Turner PJ. Food allergy desensitisation: a hard nut to crack? Arch. Dis. Child. 2019;104(11):1021–1022. https:// doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2019-317690
19. Cummings AJ, Knibb RC, King RM, Lucas JS. The psychosocial impact of food allergy and food hypersensitiv-ity in children, adolescents, and their families: a review. Allergy. 2010;65(8):933–45. https://doi.org/10.1111/ j.1398-9995.2010.02342.x
20. Ostblom E, Egmar AC, Gardulf A, Lilja G, Wickman M. The impact of food hypersensitivity reported in 9-year-old children by their parents on health-related qual-ity of life. Allergy. 2008;63(2):211–8. https://doi. org/1111/j.1398-9995.2007.01559.x
21. Meyer R, Godwin H, Dziubak R, Panepinto JA, Foong RM, Bryon M, et al. The impact on quality of life on families of children on an elimination diet for non-immunoglob-ulin E mediated gastrointestinal food allergies. World Allergy Organ. J. 2017;10(1): 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/ s40413-016-0139-7
22. Kim S, Kim M, Kim J, Park B, Min N, Jung M, et al. Quality of life in food allergy: validation of the Korean version of the food allergy quality of life questionnaire parent form (K-FAQLQ-PF) and risk factor analysis. Allergy Asthma Immunol. Res. 2023;15(1):43–54. https://doi.org/10.4168/ aair.2023.15.1.43
23. Proctor KB, Tison K, H HE, Park J, Scahill L, Vickery BP, et al. A systematic review of parent report measures assessing the psychosocial impact of food allergy on patients and families. Allergy. 2022;77(5):1347–59. https://doi.org/10.1111/all.15140
24. Valentine AZ, Knibb RC. Exploring quality of life in families of children living with and without a severe food allergy. Appetite. 2011;57(2):467–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet. 2011.06.007
25. Cortes A, Castillo A, Sciaraffia A. Food allergy: children’s symptom levels are associated with mothers’ psycho-socio-economic variables. J. Psychosom. Res. 2018;104:48–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2017.11.009
26. DunnGalvin A, Dubois AE, Flokstra-de Blok BM, Hourihane JO. The effects of food allergy on quality of life. Chem. Immunol. Allergy. 2015;101:235–52. https://doi.org/10.1159/000375106