The Open Allergy Journal
2018, 9 : 1-7Published online 2018 August 29. DOI: 10.2174/1874838401809010001
Publisher ID: TOALLJ-9-1
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Food Allergy Knowledge and Attitudes Among School Teachers in Jazan, Saudi Arabia
* Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Gizan 45142, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Email: dr.gassem@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Background:
Food allergy topic has become more widely discussed in developed countries, but with less interest in Middle Eastern Arabian Countries.
Objectives:
The main objective of this paper is to assess the knowledge and perception of schoolteachers about food allergy.
Methods:
A cross sectional study was conducted among a sample of 360 school teachers between May 2013 and February 2014 in province of Jazan in Saudi Arabia, using a validated web-based self-administered survey.
Results:
The results revealed that almost (59.7%) of the schoolteachers had a medium insufficient knowledge about food allergy; only 17.3% had good knowledge about food allergy. Female teachers had higher knowledge scores (58.5 ± 17.2) as compared to male (51.8 ± 16.0) with statistically significant difference (p = 0.017). The majority of schoolteachers have a significantly poor knowledge in most of food allergy domains. More than half of responders either do not know or they disagree that the food allergy is a serious problem and can lead to death. Regression analysis revealed that participant’s level of knowledge is significantly associated with school teacher’s attitudes towards food allergy (OR = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.39 - 0.92, p = 0.01), practice (OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.11 - 2.56, p = 0.01), and years of experiences (OR = 1.8, 95% CI; 1.15 - 2.98, p = 0.011).
Conclusion:
Knowledge of food allergy among schoolteachers is not adequate, failing to recognize and treat fatal food allergy reactions necessitate an urgent need to set a school policy to improve the food allergy situation.