Investigation of Parent-Reported Food Allergic Reactions in Preschool Children in Greece

Food allergies are a growing public health problem during childhood, significantly affecting the health and quality of life of children and their families. The aim of this study was to investigate parent-reported food allergic reactions among preschool children in Greece. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an anonymous online questionnaire completed by parents or legal guardians of 151 preschool children aged 3–6.5 years. Fifty-seven percent of participating parents reported that their child had experienced a food allergic reaction-related. The most commonly reported symptoms were skin rash, eczema and itching, while cow’s milk and dairy products were the most frequently reported allergenic foods. Among children with parent-reported food allergic reactions (n = 86), 8.1% had a reported diagnosis of asthma and 7.0% had experienced a food-induced anaphylactic reaction requiring adrenaline administration. No statistically significant associations were found between gender, age and the occurrence of parent-reported food allergic reactions. The findings indicate that parent-reported food allergic reactions were frequently reported within the study sample. However, because the results were based exclusively on parental reports and were not clinically confirmed, they should not be interpreted as estimates of the prevalence of food allergy in the general population. Future nationwide studies using representative sampling strategies and standardized diagnostic methods are warranted.