Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of General Practitioners regarding food allergy and anaphylaxis in India
Priyanka Jain1, Sapna Singh1, Vasanthi Siruguri2, M. V. Surekha1, Vishnu Vardhan Rao3 and P.Uday Kumar1
1Division of Pathology & EM,National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, (India) 2Division of Food Toxicology, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, (India) 3Division of Biostatistics, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, (India)
ABSTRACT
Food allergies are more common among infants, children and adolescents. Genetics and other lifestyle issues may play key role in food allergy pathogenesis. The management of food allergy sometimes needs medical attention and emergency preparedness. Thus knowledge, attitude and practices of general practitioners is a matter of priority to deal with food allergy patients. A total of 115 general practitioners were recruited within 3 months period. All participants had at least 15 to 20 h allergy teaching in the curriculum of their medical school studies. The validated questionnaires included questions on the demographic characteristics of the participants and their knowledge and attitudes regarding the diagnosis, symptoms, severity, triggers, risk factors and treatment of food allergies. Participants were divided into three groups based on their years in practice (<10 years, 10-20 years, >20 years) and comparisons were made. Participants scored 62.5% in knowledge based items correctly, ranging from 23% to 87% correct. Regarding questions on attitude and approach of participants to food allergies, 70.5% responded that they commonly refer such patients to allergy specialists. 43.6% believed they were knowledgeable enough regarding the management of patients with food allergies, while 96.5% extended their request for future periodic educational meetings on allergic disorders. The significant number of physicians with the highest clinical experience does not consider skinprick test or RAST as sufficient tool to diagnose food allergy(p=0.024). Due to lack of awareness and diagnostic tools used by the general practitioners, there continues to be a paucity of information regarding the food allergy/food hypersensitivities in Hyderabad. Periodic educational programmes should be aimed at improving the standard of practice among general practitioners regarding food allergies.