Anaphylaxis Canada Launches New Strategy To Help Keep More Than 250,000 Children And Young Adults With Severe Food Allergies Safe

Main Category: Allergy
Also Included In: Nutrition / Diet;  Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 27 May 2009 - 6:00 PST

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Anaphylaxis Canada is responding to the growing public health challenge of keeping teens and young adults with potentially life-threatening food allergies safe by creating a number of interactive tools including a groundbreaking new website, http://www.whyriskit.ca, an online "Reaction Registry" and radio podcasts. These tools are part of a comprehensive new strategy to help allergic youth manage risky situations by reaching out to them in forums in which they are comfortable.

Young Canadians face unique challenges when managing their allergies whether at school, work or in social situations. From peer pressure and bullying to a lack of community education, teens and young adults are in daily situations that expose them to unnecessary risks. Consider, that according to one survey*:

- More than half of teens and young adults (54%) said they knowingly ate a potentially unsafe food
- Four in ten (39%) do not always carry self-injectable epinephrine
- Forty percent do not tell their friends about their allergy - even though 68% believe education of their friends would make living with food allergy easier.

"Adolescence can be a difficult time for many of us, particularly in environments where there is an emphasis on fitting in," said Kyle Dine, Anaphylaxis Canada Program Coordinator and the driving force behind the organization's youth strategy. "Teens at risk for anaphylaxis must always carry an epinephrine auto-injector, read food labels and inform friends and dating partners of their allergies and how to react in an emergency situation. It is therefore common for teens at risk to experience stress and anxiety managing their allergies while trying to live a normal teenage life."

The launch of http://www.whyriskit.ca is the first website of its kind in Canada dedicated to supporting youth with severe food allergies, from those entering junior high school to students attending college or university to young people entering the workforce. The site will provide allergic teens and young adults with a platform to learn more about their condition as well as to recognize and assess allergy-related risks in a realistic manner.

Along with the launch of the new "Why Risk It" website, three additional online resources are now available:

- A "Reaction Registry", where young people can share anonymous stories about their own allergic reactions and learn from the experiences of others. Users can browse through the registry based on their specific allergen to learn more about how reactions occur and more importantly, how they can be prevented.

- Teen Allergy Podcasts, a downloadable radio show featuring interviews with allergic teens, panel discussions on how to handle tough social situations and relevant current news.

- The Allergy-Free Press, a bi-monthly electronic publication featuring tips, interviews and articles for young people with food allergies.

Bridget Yard a member of Anaphylaxis Canada's Youth Advisory Panel who helped develop content for the website, is excited about the new initiatives.

"To be able to finally read, see, and hear the opinions and experiences of other teens will allow us to better educate and protect ourselves," said Ms. Yard. "These resources will unite young people affected by anaphylaxis."

Without treatment, a severe allergic reaction could lead to anaphylactic shock. As there is no known cure for anaphylaxis, avoidance is the only means to keep food allergic individuals safe.

Anaphylaxis Canada's new youth website and other initiatives are being launched as part of Food Allergy Awareness Week in Canada, an event recognized in several other countries including the US, UK, Italy and Australia.

"Keeping Canadians with severe food allergies - particularly our young people - safe, is our top priority," said Laurie Harada, Executive Director of Anaphylaxis Canada. "We believe these innovative initiatives will help us greatly with our goal."

*Source: Sampson MA, Muñoz-Furlong A, Sicherer SH: Risk-taking and coping strategies of adolescents and young adults with food allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2006, 117:1440-1445.

Source
Anaphylaxis Canada