ESPEN 2015 Abstract Submission

Topic: Nutritional assessment

Abstract Submission Identifier: ESPEN15-ABS-1699

FAMILY HISTORY OF FOOD ALLERGIES MIGHT LIMIT FOOD CHOICE OF PORTUGUESE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Maria-Raquel G. Silva^*^1,², Ana Sofia Pinto², Hugo Silva³

¹Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, ²Faculty of Health Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa, Oporto, ³Ministry of Education, Lisbon, Portugal

Rationale: Food allergies are a growing issue in developed countries that might limit food choices and daily habits, especially in young adults living away from their homes. However, there still is a lack of published studies; therefore, this study aims to assess the prevalence of food allergies, types of food allergies and their impact on daily lives of Portuguese undergraduate students.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among students from the University Fernando Pessoa (Portugal). This study was approved by the Ethical Committee of this University and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. A self-administered questionnaire was applied to collect the following data: socio-demographic, anthropometric, food frequency, food allergy parameters (e.g. intensity and duration of symptoms) and pharmacological therapy. Descriptive linear regression analysis and Pearson correlation coefficients were performed using SPSS version 20. The significance level was 5%.

Results: Ninety-three students (25.8±5.2yrs old; 50 female and 43 male) were included. The most common food allergies reported by students were nuts(36%) and strawberries(26%). Eczema and urticarial were observed in both genders; and abdominal pain and diarrhea were also identified by male students. In spite of the majority of the participants(85%) reported that symptoms normally appeared after a few minutes of food intake, 25% avoided any contact with a specific type of food. Family history of food allergies was strongly associated with students’ food allergies prevalence (P<0.001) in both genders.

Conclusion: Food allergies were not considered a limiting factor on students’ daily lives. However, students reported to be worried about being affected by new food allergies in a near future, because of their family history. Careful diagnosis is important to avoid a restrictive and an inadequate diet that might impair students’ health.

Disclosure of Interest: None Declared

Keywords: Food allergy, Students