The relationship between food allergy related quality of life and parental anxiety
When we analyzed the association between STAI inventory scores and the total/subscales of FAQLQ-PF scores using correlations, we found overall significant but weak positive correlations between maternal anxiety and QoL, as well as its subscales (supplementary,Table 1). These findings suggest that a higher level of anxiety in parents is associated with a decrease in the child’s QoL from parents perspective. Furthermore, when the association between STAI and total FAQLQ scores was analyzed using univariate tables, the increase in STAI-S (B=0.032; 95% CI: 0.011- 0.053; p=0.003) and STAI-T scores ( B=0.037; 95% CI: 0.001 - 0.065); p=0.009) was associated with an increase in total FAQLQ-PF scores (a decrease in QoL). Association between STAI and FAQLQ scores was demonstrated as scatter-dot graphs (Figure 3).
Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to model the relationship between FAQLQ-PF (dependent variable) and independent variables by assuming a linear relationship between the variables. In the model where STAI-S was included, fathers as primary caregiver (B= -1.035; 95% CI: -1.761 / -0.310; p=0.006), having hazelnut allergy (B =0.717; 95% CI: 0.058 / 1.376; p=0.033), having ever history of anaphylaxis (B=0.707; 95% CI: 0.171 / 1.244; p=0.010), and STAI-S scores (B=0.024; 95% CI: 0.004 / 0.044; p=0.019) were significant predictors (supplementary, Table 2). When analysis repeated by including STAI-T but not STAI-S, similar predictors were depicted except borderline insignificance achieved for STAI-T (supplementary, Table 2). Our findings indicate that considering fathers’ viewpoints may yield more favorable assessments of children’s QoL. Parents of children with hazelnut allergies and with a history of anaphylaxis tend to report lower QoL for their children. Notably, higher parental state anxiety, as opposed to trait anxiety, is significantly linked to a lower perceived QoL in the child.