Bottom Line: Survey data suggest at least 1 in 10 U.S. adults are food allergic and nearly 1 in 5 believe they have a food allergy. Food allergies are expensive and potentially life-threatening conditions. In this nationally representative survey study of more than 40,000 U.S. adults, nearly half of food-allergic adults developed allergies during adulthood, many reported being allergic to multiple foods, and 38 percent reported at least one food allergy-related emergency department visit in their lifetime. Shellfish allergy was the most common, followed by milk, peanut, tree nut and fin fish. Self-reported food allergies by study participants weren’t confirmed by diagnosis.
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Authors: Ruchi S. Gupta, M.D., M.P.H., Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, Chicago, and coauthors
To Learn More: The full study is available on the For The Media website.
(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.5630)
Editor’s Note: The article contains conflict of interest and funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
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About JAMA Network Open: JAMA Network Open is the new online-only open access general medical journal from the JAMA Network. Every Friday, the journal publishes peer-reviewed clinical research and commentary in more than 40 medical and health subject areas. Every article is free online from the day of publication.
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