Demographic Determinants and Disparities in Food Allergies: Dissecting the Impact on Prevalence

Abstract

The rising prevalence of food allergies underscores the critical need for research into genetic and environmental influences on this worrying trend. Utilizing data from a retrospective cohort study of over a million children's health records from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, this study investigates the onset of food allergies across different demographics. The study employs multivariate logistic regression to model the probability of allergy presence, revealing significant correlations between allergies and factors such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Specifically, it finds variations in the prevalence of peanut, soy, and milk allergies among different racial groups and genders, with age being a critical factor in the likelihood of having these allergies. The findings suggest that non-Caucasian populations have a higher incidence of certain food allergies, supporting the hypothesis that racial and socioeconomic factors significantly influence allergy prevalence. The study contributes to the growing body of evidence on health disparities in food allergies, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions and equitable access to treatment. Larger, more diverse sample sizes in future research could help refine the understanding of allergies' demographic determinants.