Food allergies on a college campus

Authors

Irene H. Yuan, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
Matthew Greenhawt, Section of Allergy/Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado.
Elissa M. Abrams, Section of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Edwin H. Kim, Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
S Shahzad Mustafa, Rochester Regional HealthFollow
Edward G. Iglesia, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.

Department

Allergy and Immunology

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

Abstract

There are limited data on food allergies among college students. In this article, we review the most current available studies. These self-reported surveys and qualitative interviews reported overall poor avoidance of known allergens and low rates of carrying self-injectable epinephrine among students with food allergy. College students may exhibit risk-taking food behaviors due to a number of factors, including age-appropriate risk-taking predilection, strong social influences, and lack of experience in self-advocacy. Having to disclose an otherwise invisible condition repeatedly in a new environment may also lead to "disclosure fatigue," creating an additional barrier to self-advocacy. Common themes in the narrative include hypervigilance, stigma management, and concern about others' misunderstanding of food allergy. Although there is a paucity of data in this area, it is likely that having greater support at the institution level, along with support from peers and faculty, may help improve awareness, self-injectable epinephrine carriage, and allergen avoidance. This review also discusses strategies for preparedness at school, including specific steps to maximize safety.

First Page

579

Last Page

584

DOI

10.1016/j.anai.2024.01.023

Volume

132

Issue

5

Publication Date

5-1-2024

Medical Subject Headings

Humans; Food Hypersensitivity (epidemiology); Students (psychology); Universities; Epinephrine (therapeutic use, administration & dosage)

PubMed ID

38296046

Recommended Citation

Yuan, I. H., Greenhawt, M., Abrams, E. M., Kim, E. H., Mustafa, S. S., & Iglesia, E. G. (2024). Food allergies on a college campus. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 132 (5), 579-584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2024.01.023