Pediatric food allergy-related household costs are influenced by age, but not disease severity.

Objective: The economic burden of food allergy on households is poorly understood. We evaluated the household costs associated with specialist-diagnosed pediatric food allergy, with focus on age and disease severity.

Study Design: A cross-sectional study of 70 Swedish case-control pairs (59% boys) was conducted using Food Allergy Economic questionnaire. Household costs were analyzed between age- and gender-matched cases (children aged 0-17 years, with specialist-diagnosed food allergy) and controls (non-food allergic households).

Results: Parents were predominantly university-educated and employed full-time. Most cases had parent-reported previous anaphylaxis. Mean total annual household costs were comparable between cases and controls. However, compared to controls, cases had significantly higher direct medical-, and non-medical related costs; higher indirect medical-related costs, and higher intangible costs (all p < 0.05). In a sensitivity analyses of only cases aged 0-12 years, direct household costs, including lost earnings due to child's hospitalization, were significantly higher than controls. Results from only children with severe disease paralleled those of all cases vs. controls.

Conclusions: Although pediatric food allergy is not associated with higher total annual household costs, these households have significantly higher direct medical-related, indirect and intangible costs vs. non-food allergic households. Higher household costs were identified amongst younger children, but not disease severity.