Food allergies on a college campus.

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. Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Citation

Irene H Yuan, Matthew Greenhawt, Elissa M Abrams, Edwin H Kim, S Shahzad Mustafa, Edward G A Iglesia. Food allergies on a college campus. Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology. 2024 May;132(5):579-584

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PMID: 38296046

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