Hispanics, Blacks, and Asians have the highest rates of food allergies.

Food allergies go unnoticed in most racial and ethnic communities. But a new study from Northwestern Medicine—the first population-based food allergy study in the United States to examine racial and ethnic differences in all age groups—shows why.

A new study found that the prevalence of food allergies was highest among Hispanics, non-Hispanic blacks, and Asians across all age groups. And the fewest food allergies are in households with annual incomes of $150,000 or more.

The authors noted a lack of population-based data on food allergy among races and ethnic groups in the United States. Most of the research so far has also focused on children.

“The impact of food allergies on racial and ethnic communities is less talked about,” said Ruchi Gupta, Ph.D., the study’s corresponding author. “It’s not on the radar. But now we know it has an even bigger impact on them, and it’s important to raise awareness.

“Improving access to food allergy diagnosis and treatment is also critical. This is an exciting time for new therapies to emerge and ensure that racial and ethnic minorities with high rates of food allergy are treated. It is imperative that the law is delivered.”

Gupta is Director of the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research and Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is also a physician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.

New treatments include various forms of immunotherapy, such as oral, epicutaneous (on the skin), and sublingual (under the tongue), all of which desensitize the immune system to allergens. . Another treatment, Gupta said, is a new biologic that blocks the cascade of allergic reactions.

When Gupta first started studying food allergies 20 years ago, researchers didn’t know there was a divide.

“We now know that racial and ethnic minorities and underserved people are often not diagnosed by an allergist. But because it’s hard to get to a specialist and there’s no cure, they just try to avoid the food,” Gupta said.

But new research shows that food allergies, which affect 11% of adults and 8% of children in the United States, affect adults and children of all races and ethnicities.

Research findings include:

• Food allergy prevalence is highest among Asians (10.5%), Hispanics (10.6%), and non-Hispanic blacks (10.6%) across all age groups.
• Non-Hispanic blacks with food allergies were most likely to report food allergies to multiple foods (50.6%).
• Asian and non-Hispanic Caucasians had the lowest rates of severe food allergic reactions.
• The lowest prevalence of food allergies was in households with annual incomes of $150,000 or more (8.3%).

In addition to the prevalence of food allergies, this study also reports on outcomes such as common food allergens, emergency room visits for food allergic reactions, and epinephrine use. We also consider the socioeconomic status associated with the prevalence of food allergy.

The study also suggests that the spectrum of allergy symptoms all follow a similar pattern in terms of who is affected. This set of symptoms is part of a series of allergic symptoms that progress from infancy to childhood (called atopic march), including eczema, food allergies, allergic rhinitis, and asthma.

“In the past 30 to 40 years, there have not been enough genetic alterations to explain this classification of allergic symptoms,” said study co-author, epidemiologist and assistant professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. One Christopher Warren says: “Clearly something changed in the environment. It is up to us to figure out what those changes are and how we can reverse them or add mitigating interventions. It’s an obligation.”

In this study, population-based surveys were conducted online and by telephone with a nationally representative sample of the US population. More than 50,000 households were surveyed and approximately 80,000 responses were received.

Hosted by Northwestern World Food Allergy Prevention Summit It will be held in Chicago from July 7th to 9th. Some sessions will address disparities in food allergies.