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Citation
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Brown D, Negris O, Gupta R, Herbert L, Lombard L, Bozen A, Assa'ad A, Chura A, Andy-Nweye AB, Fox S, Mahdavinia M, Tobin M, Robinson A, Sharma H, Coleman A, Jiang J, Bilaver L, Fierstein JL, Galic I, Newmark P, Pongracic JA, Pappalardo AA, Warren C. Ann. Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub. |
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Copyright
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(Copyright © 2020, American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Publisher Elsevier Publishing) |
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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: The experiences of Black children with food allergy (FA) are not well characterized, particularly with respect to bullying victimization and other psychosocial outcomes.
OBJECTIVE: To examine bullying experiences of Black and White children with FA, as well as associations with peer relationships, anxiety and school policies.
METHODS: Surveys were administered to parents of 252 children with physician- diagnosed FA enrolled in the multi-site FORWARD cohort. Surveys assessed demographics, atopic disease, bullying victimization, and school FA management practices and policies. Descriptive statistics of bullying by race were compared via chi- squared tests. Multiple logistic regression analyses adjusting for race, age, parental education, household income, child gender and multi-FA compared adjusted probabilities of bullying victimization by school policies.
RESULTS: Nearly 20% of school-aged children were bullied for FA with no significant racial differences overall, though for children ages 11 and up, Whites reported higher rates of bullying. However, Black children experienced non FA-related bullying twice as frequently as White children (38.6% vs. 17.7%; p=.002). The majority (85.7%) of caregivers who intervened in their child's bullying reported it was helpful. Among parents, 17.3% reported they were teased/bullied due to their child's FA. Over half of respondents (54.8%) reported that some allergens are banned from their child's school, most commonly peanut. In schools banning peanuts, FA-related bullying was less-frequently reported by all food-allergic students.
CONCLUSION: Bullying due to FA is common and caregivers, medical professionals and school administrators can help reduce bullying by screening for bullying and supporting and educating school policies.
Language: en |