Determination of diet compliance and anxiety levels of parents of children diagnosed food allergy

Determination of Diet Compliance and Anxiety Levels of Parents of Children Diagnosed Food Allergy The prevalence of food allergies is increasing worldwide and affects negatively children in particular. Having a child with food allergies brings about different problems for their parents. The study was conducted using descriptive method with 295 parents in order to determine the compliance and anxiety levels of parents whose children were diagnosed with food allergies. Data were collected with the questionnaire form and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Numerical, percentages, means, medians, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn-Bonferroni analyzes were used in the evaluation. 87.1% of the children whose parents participated in the survey had an elimination diet and 51.8% of them did not receive any elimination diet trainings. 59.3 % of the parents find their knowledge about the elimination diet insufficient. The average age at which parents get their children's first food allergy diagnose is 3.5 ± 2.6 months. 38,6 % of children have allergy against 5 or more food. 92.5 % of the children have allergy against cow milk, 67.8 % of them against eggs, A significant difference between children's attendance in school, egg and wheat allergy, frequency of taking the child to polyclinic, problems such as wheezing, sneezing, nasal discharge and swelling of atopic dermatitis and the scores of anxiety scale (p <0.05). A significant relationship was found between parents' anxiety levels and frequent repetition of allergy symptoms and allergy symptoms of children, and it was determined that they needed trainings. It may be suggested that parents' training needs be determined, concerned trainings be given, nurses take active roles in the course of trainings and studies with bigger groups be carried out. Keywords: Children, elimination diet, food allergy, nursing, state anxiety