Validation of the Impact on Family Scale (Spanish Version) and Predictive Variables in Parents of Children with Severe Food Allergy.

Abstract

Severe food allergies in children have serious consequences for their daily lives, but also for their families. The aim of the present study was to validate the impact on family scale (IOFS) in families of school-age children with severe food allergies (SFA) in Spain. A total of 299 families from south Spain were assessed using the IOFS. A factorial analysis was conducted to analyze the construct validity. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the intraclass correlation coefficient. Additionally, a multivariate analysis was conducted to study the association between the impact of the illness on families and some variables. The internal consistency of the scale (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.87 (95% CI) and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.90. Regarding the results of the IOFS, the overall average score was 61.9 (SD = 12.4). The family-social impact subscale obtained the highest score. The number of children and the number of workers within the family showed a significance that was directly proportional to the family impact. The Spanish version of the IOFS is a reliable and valid tool to assess the impact of severe food allergies on families. In addition, the results point out SFA as a problem with medium-high family impact and important family availability needs. The impact on families of severe food allergy of children has become evident, therefore, the healthcare staff should pay close attention to this issue and take the required measures to reduce this impact.