Epidemiology and Burden of Food Allergy

• Published in: Current allergy and asthma reports Vol. 20; no. 2; p. 6
• Main Authors: Warren, Christopher M., Jiang, Jialing, Gupta, Ruchi S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 14.02.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Allergology; Anaphylaxis - epidemiology; Epidemiology; Food allergies; Food Allergy (E Kim; Food Hypersensitivity - epidemiology; Food Hypersensitivity - immunology; Food Hypersensitivity - psychology; Humans; Immunoglobulin E - immunology; Longitudinal Studies; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Prevalence; Quality of life; Quality of Life - psychology; Section Editor; Topical Collection on Food Allergy; Burden of disease; Food allergy epidemiology
• ISSN: 1529-7322; 1534-6315; 1534-6315
• DOI: 10.1007/s11882-020-0898-7

Purpose of Review In recent decades, food allergy has become an increasing concern for families, clinicians, and policymakers. This review aims to summarize what is currently known about the epidemiology and population-level burden of IgE-mediated food allergy, including its effects on quality of life. Recent Findings Prevalence surveys, healthcare utilization data, and findings from longitudinal cohort studies across the globe indicate that food allergy imposes a growing societal burden. Worryingly, recent data indicate that food allergies may be more prevalent among adult populations than previously acknowledged, with many reported cases of adult-onset allergies. Summary While it remains unclear how much of the current population-level burden of disease results from true, IgE-mediated allergy, as much epidemiological data does not incorporate clinical confirmation of disease prevalence—it is clear that affected individuals suffer impairments in their quality of life and incur substantial economic costs—beyond the physical health burden imposed by anaphylaxis.