Females with Food Allergies Face Lower Quality of Life – EMJ

FEMALE sex was the determinant with the highest negative impact on health-related quality of life in people with food allergies, within the new Spanish multicentre BIOGRIAL study.

The Study

The research aimed to identify the factors that cause food allergies to impair health-related quality of life.

It analysed patients with IgE-mediated food allergies aged eight years or older, who completed the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire (FAQLQ).

Researchers monitored variables including atopic comorbidities, number and type of food allergies, age at onset of allergy, food allergy duration, any need for urgent treatment, and reaction severity (graded using the Food Allergy Severity Score).

Overall, a poor food allergy health-related quality of life was defined as a score of 5 or more, from a range of 1 to 7.

Among 502 included patients, 63.9% were female sex, 86% adults, 7.4% adolescents, and 6.6% children.

The median  FAQLQ score was 4.55.

Female Adults Reported Lower Quality of Life

Adults and female patients had poorer food allergy health-related quality of life scores than younger participants and male patients, respectively.

Analysis revealed that female sex, multiple allergies, severe reactions, and vegetable allergy were independent predictors of quality of life.

Adult age, female sex, number of food allergies, the need for urgent care, reaction severity, and the onset of food allergies younger than age 18 years were determinants of poor food allergy health-related quality of life.

Female adults with at least seven food allergies had the worst quality of life scores, with a mean FAQLQ of 5.93.

Out of the patients who had an FAQLQ of at least 5, 79% were female adults.

Targeted Interventions

Researchers called for determinants of health-related quality of life of people with food allergies to be mitigated through psychosocial support, dietary management, and education.

They also highlighted that female adult patients with multiple food allergies have the lowest food allergy health-related quality of life and need targeted, personalised interventions.

Reference

Vera-Berrios RN et al. Determinants of poor health-related quality of life in patients with food allergy. Allergy: Eur J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2026;DOI:10.1111/all.70418.

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