Consequences of perceived food intolerance for welfare, lifestyle and food choice practices, in a community sample

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the consequences for lifestyle, welfare and dietary practices of perceiving food intolerance, in a community sample. Questionnaires enquiring about adverse symptoms attributed to foods and other agents were sent to randomly identified householders in diverse electoral wards in the Birmingham area. A total of 300 respondents with perceived food intolerance (PFI) were recruited for interview about their reactions to foods and effects on their welfare, lifestyle and dietary practices. Respondents who did not attribute any symptoms to a food ( n = 937) were designated controls and sent a mailed questionnaire, of which 529 were returned. PFIs were predominantly female, aged 45‐65 years, but there were no other demographic differences from controls. PFIs (32%) reported taking more time off work in the last year than did controls (19%) ( p < 0.001) and almost half of them had taken time off work at some time for food-related symptoms. Only 2% of PFIs felt their income had been affected by their food-related symptoms, although 5% did report higher dietary costs. Physical activity or daily routine was affected in 17% of PFIs. More PFIs (48%) than controls (35%) used food supplements ( p < 0.001), but PFIs were less likely than controls to check food labels (53% vs 71%) or to use supermarkets' nutritional literature (8% vs 21%) ( p < 0.001). Despite these differences, perception of food intolerance did not have substantial effects on welfare or lifestyle of those with food-attributed symptoms.