Trick or treat? – when children with childhood food allergies lead parents into unhealthy food choices

BMC Public Health

Dieu Hack-Polay¹  Nicholas Grigoriou²  Leonora Fuxman³  Dina Naquiallah⁴  Ali B. Mahmoud⁵ 

[1] Crandall University, Moncton, Canada;University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK;Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia;St. John’s University, New York, USA;University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA;University of Wales Trinity Saint David, London, UK;

关键词: Childhood obesity;    Food allergy;    Parenting;    Attitudes;    Gender;    Healthy eating;    COVID-19;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-020-09556-x

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThis study examines the relationships between childhood food allergy and parental unhealthy food choices for their children across attitudes towards childhood obesity as mediators and parental gender, income and education as potential moderators.MethodsWe surveyed parents with at least one child between the ages of 6 and 12 living in Canada and the United States. We received 483 valid responses that were analysed using structural equation modelling approach with bootstrapping to test the hypothetical path model and its invariance across the moderators.ResultsThe analysis revealed that pressure to eat fully mediated the effects of childhood food allergy and restriction on parental unhealthy food choices for their children. Finally, we found that parental gender moderated the relationship between childhood food allergy and the pressure to eat.ConclusionsThe paper contributes to the literature on food allergies among children and the marginalisation of families with allergies. Our explorative model is a first of its kind and offers a fresh perspective on complex relationships between variables under consideration. Although our data collection took place prior to Covid-19 outbreak, this paper bears yet particular significance as it casts light on how families with allergies should be part of the priority groups to have access to food supply during crisis periods.

【 授权许可】

CC BY