Anxiety and Family Functioning in Children with Food Allergies

Abstract

Having a food allergy is a stressful thing for a child and their family. This is a chronic illness that requires vigilance, time, and effort in order to prevent anaphylaxis, a life threatening allergic reaction. There has been research done on the physical effects of food allergies on children, but less is known about how this affects children psychologically. This study was administered via an online survey to children 8-years-old and older, who have diagnosed food allergies, and their parents. The severity of the food allergy was related to level of child anxiety, but family functioning did not moderate this relationship.