The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Frequency of food allergy in Europe: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Frequency of food allergy in Europe: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis
Frequency of food allergy in Europe: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Food allergy (FA) is increasingly reported in Europe, however the latest prevalence estimates were based on studies published a decade ago. The present work provides the most updated estimates of the prevalence and trends of FA in Europe. Databases were searched for studies published between 2012 and 2021, added to studies published up to 2012. In total, 110 studies were included in this update. Most studies were graded as moderate risk of bias. Pooled lifetime and point prevalence of self-reported FA were 19.9% (95% CI 16.6-23.3) and 13.1% (95% CI 11.3-14.8), respectively. The point prevalence of sensitization based on specific IgE (slgE) was 16.6% (95% CI 12.3-20.8), skin prick test (SPT) 5.7% (95% CI 3.9-7.4), and positive food challenge 0.8% (95% CI 0.5-0.9). While lifetime prevalence of self-reported FA and food challenge positivity only slightly changed, the point prevalence of self-reported FA, sIgE and SPT positivity increased from previous estimates. This may reflect a real increase, increased awareness, increased number of foods assessed, or increased number of studies from countries with less data in the first review. Future studies require rigorous designs and implementation of standardized methodology in diagnosing FA, including use of double-blinded placebo-controlled food challenge to minimize potential biases.

Europe, epidemiology, food allergy, sensitization, systematic review
0105-4538
Spolidoro, Giulia C.I.
e43ddf6b-a83e-43b0-8eeb-fc7ef25d7e5e
Tesfaye Amera, Yohannes
aa4435d5-9c2f-4527-913e-feb842334641
Ali, Mohamed Mustafa
2c8ea880-4cad-4475-af0f-02d691680f8f
Nyassi, Sungkutu
dfb4ac84-a174-4fe7-aa7c-7b2ada500443
Lisik, Daniil
97db115a-4f08-4768-b304-e12b95002781
Ioannidou, Athina
af08924d-bc9e-4d67-aded-3d54f4ac617d
Rovner, Graciela
8a8bf134-4f54-4ad7-a36b-fb680dcb4c5d
Khaleva, Ekaterina
0143fad8-e8b7-4286-997b-368a23488ca8
Venter, Carina
b865c2a4-7789-46c9-b6ef-c032c4fda66a
van Ree, Ronald
f6c2aabb-0e67-4e24-b2ed-b9c30641aebc
Worm, Margitta
59406574-ce5f-4ca5-9319-7543c719cc5b
Vlieg-Boerstra, Berber
9f32bd46-208f-4330-9751-5d19d9b6631b
Sheikh, Aziz
5b7eb24b-0820-4bd6-8304-cc46bbe561a8
Muraro, Antonella
c554bef5-502b-4540-a6f0-a3f7c37f0075
Roberts, Graham
ea00db4e-84e7-4b39-8273-9b71dbd7e2f3
Nwaru, Bright I
d49dbf02-337c-4800-92d4-3fe290698e21
Spolidoro, Giulia C.I.
e43ddf6b-a83e-43b0-8eeb-fc7ef25d7e5e
Tesfaye Amera, Yohannes
aa4435d5-9c2f-4527-913e-feb842334641
Ali, Mohamed Mustafa
2c8ea880-4cad-4475-af0f-02d691680f8f
Nyassi, Sungkutu
dfb4ac84-a174-4fe7-aa7c-7b2ada500443
Lisik, Daniil
97db115a-4f08-4768-b304-e12b95002781
Ioannidou, Athina
af08924d-bc9e-4d67-aded-3d54f4ac617d
Rovner, Graciela
8a8bf134-4f54-4ad7-a36b-fb680dcb4c5d
Khaleva, Ekaterina
0143fad8-e8b7-4286-997b-368a23488ca8
Venter, Carina
b865c2a4-7789-46c9-b6ef-c032c4fda66a
van Ree, Ronald
f6c2aabb-0e67-4e24-b2ed-b9c30641aebc
Worm, Margitta
59406574-ce5f-4ca5-9319-7543c719cc5b
Vlieg-Boerstra, Berber
9f32bd46-208f-4330-9751-5d19d9b6631b
Sheikh, Aziz
5b7eb24b-0820-4bd6-8304-cc46bbe561a8
Muraro, Antonella
c554bef5-502b-4540-a6f0-a3f7c37f0075
Roberts, Graham
ea00db4e-84e7-4b39-8273-9b71dbd7e2f3
Nwaru, Bright I
d49dbf02-337c-4800-92d4-3fe290698e21

Spolidoro, Giulia C.I., Tesfaye Amera, Yohannes, Ali, Mohamed Mustafa, Nyassi, Sungkutu, Lisik, Daniil, Ioannidou, Athina, Rovner, Graciela, Khaleva, Ekaterina, Venter, Carina, van Ree, Ronald, Worm, Margitta, Vlieg-Boerstra, Berber, Sheikh, Aziz, Muraro, Antonella, Roberts, Graham and Nwaru, Bright I (2022) Frequency of food allergy in Europe: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Allergy. (doi:10.1111/all.15560).

Record type: Review

Abstract

Food allergy (FA) is increasingly reported in Europe, however the latest prevalence estimates were based on studies published a decade ago. The present work provides the most updated estimates of the prevalence and trends of FA in Europe. Databases were searched for studies published between 2012 and 2021, added to studies published up to 2012. In total, 110 studies were included in this update. Most studies were graded as moderate risk of bias. Pooled lifetime and point prevalence of self-reported FA were 19.9% (95% CI 16.6-23.3) and 13.1% (95% CI 11.3-14.8), respectively. The point prevalence of sensitization based on specific IgE (slgE) was 16.6% (95% CI 12.3-20.8), skin prick test (SPT) 5.7% (95% CI 3.9-7.4), and positive food challenge 0.8% (95% CI 0.5-0.9). While lifetime prevalence of self-reported FA and food challenge positivity only slightly changed, the point prevalence of self-reported FA, sIgE and SPT positivity increased from previous estimates. This may reflect a real increase, increased awareness, increased number of foods assessed, or increased number of studies from countries with less data in the first review. Future studies require rigorous designs and implementation of standardized methodology in diagnosing FA, including use of double-blinded placebo-controlled food challenge to minimize potential biases.

Text
Allergy - 2022 - Spolidoro - Frequency of food allergy in Europe An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis - Version of Record
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.
Download (960kB)

More information

Accepted/In Press date: 18 October 2022
e-pub ahead of print date: 22 October 2022
Additional Information: Funding Information: The study was funded through an unrestricted grant from DBV Technologies SA. The funders had no influence on the design of the study, interpretation of findings, or the decision to publish. BN acknowledges the support of Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and the VBG Group Herman Krefting Foundation on Asthma and Allergy. Funding Information: Carina Venter reports: grants (Reckitt Benckiser, Food Allergy Research and Education, and National Peanut Board) and personal fees (Reckitt Benckiser, Nestle Nutrition Institute, Danone, Abbott Nutrition, Else Nutrition, Sifter, and Before Brands). Ronald van Ree reports: consultancies (HAL Allergy BV, Citeq BV, Angany Inc., Reacta Healthcare Ltd., Mission MightyMe, and AB Enzymes), speaker's fees (HAL Allergy BV, ThermoFisher Scientific, and ALK), and stock options (Angany Inc.). Margitta Worm reports: grants and personal fees (Stallergens, HAL Allergie, Bencard Allergie, Allergopharma, ALK‐Abello, Mylan Germany, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Deutschland, Biotest, AbbVie Deutschland, Lilly Deutschland Aimmune, DBV Technologies SA, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi Aventis, Leo Pharma, Novartis, and Viatris) outside of the submitted work and being past WAO co‐chair of the anaphylaxis committee and past chair of the food allergy interest group of EAACI. Berber Vlieg‐Boerstra reports: personal fees (Marfo Food Group, Nestlé, and Nutricia) and grants (Nutricia). Antonella Muraro reports: grants and speaker's fees (Aimmune), speaker's fees (DVB Technologies SA, Viatris [Mylan], ALK, and Nestlé), and being member of the Executive Committee of GA2LEN and past president of EAACI. Graham Roberts reports grants (Asthma UK and National Institutes of Health Research). Bright I, Nwaru reports unrestricted grants and personal fees from DBV Technologies and AstraZeneca, respectively. Giulia C.I. Spolidoro, Yohannes Tesfaye Amera, Mohamed Mustafa Ali, Sungkutu Nyassi, Daniil Lisik, Athina Ioannidou report fee from ACT Institutet Sweden. The other authors report no conflicting interests related to this work. The funder played no role in the content and decision to submit this manuscript. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Allergy published by European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Keywords: Europe, epidemiology, food allergy, sensitization, systematic review

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 472056
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/472056
ISSN: 0105-4538
PURE UUID: 63aae7ff-d140-4f38-926e-32cbd26fb8d1
ORCID for Ekaterina Khaleva: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2220-7745
ORCID for Graham Roberts: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-2252-1248

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 24 Nov 2022 18:31
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:02

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Giulia C.I. Spolidoro
Author: Yohannes Tesfaye Amera
Author: Mohamed Mustafa Ali
Author: Sungkutu Nyassi
Author: Daniil Lisik
Author: Athina Ioannidou
Author: Graciela Rovner
Author: Ekaterina Khaleva ORCID iD
Author: Carina Venter
Author: Ronald van Ree
Author: Margitta Worm
Author: Berber Vlieg-Boerstra
Author: Aziz Sheikh
Author: Antonella Muraro
Author: Graham Roberts ORCID iD
Author: Bright I Nwaru

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×