Diet and Food-Purchasing Habits among Black and White Children with Food Allergy

Abstract

Previous studies indicate racial differences in the prevalence of food allergies among children. However, little is known about how race impacts the daily life experiences of families of children diagnosed with FA. The prospective multi-site cohort study, FORWARD, recruits Black and White children 0-12 years of age with physician-diagnosed IgE-mediated food allergies in Chicago, Cincinnati and Washington DC. Guardians of the children completed follow-up surveys (at 6 months post-enrollment) assessing diet and purchasing habits (N=175). Pearson’s chi-squared tests were used to assess variability in responses between Black and White families. When asked about grocery purchases, survey results indicated a clear disparity in access to allergy-free foods (p < 0.001), with White families reporting greater access to allergy-free foods (89.76%) compared to Black families (60.47%). Although both White and Black families reported checking food labels with comparable frequency (p=0.367), there was a noticeable difference in concern for making a purchasing mistake when grocery shopping that would lead to an allergic reaction. Nearly half of White families expressed concern (48.82%), while less than a quarter of Black families (20.93%) felt similarly (p=0.001). With respect to children eating food prepared outside of the home, fewer Black families (48.84%) were fearful of an allergic reaction than White families (78.74%; p< 0.001). Results of this study indicate several differences in the diet and purchasing habits between Black and White families of children with food allergies. Further analysis is necessary to determine whether these differences are related to race, socioeconomic status, or other factors.