People of Color More Likely to Have Food Allergies Than White Individuals, Study Finds
Food allergies affect 11 percent of adults and 8 percent of children, per a recent study from the JAMA Network Open
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People of color are more likely to have food allergies than White people, a new study has found.People of color appear to be affected by food allergies more so than their White counterparts, according to a recent study.
Last month, the JAMA Network Open released a study in which it looked at 51,819 households — and a total of 78, 851 people — in the U.S. from October 2015 to September 2016 to see how food allergies affect different demographics.
Per the study, food allergies affect 11 percent of adults and 8 percent of children, with the highest number of food allergies affecting those who identify as Hispanic and Black at 10.6 percent, and Asian people just below them at 10.5 percent.
Their White counterparts, meanwhile, had the lowest rate of food allergies at 9.5 percent.
Looking at economics, the study also found that those who had the lowest number of food allergies lived in households that earned more than $150,000 per year at 8.3 percent.
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Doctors perform an allergy test.An allergic reaction is when the immune system reacts abnormally to a foreign substance. FARE, an advocacy organization for people with food allergies, states that more than 170 foods have been reported to cause allergic reactions.
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Symptoms of an allergic reaction to food can range from an itchy mouth, to something more severe, such as trouble breathing or even death. Per FARE, food allergies send about 200,000 people to emergency medical care every year.
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In the JAMA Network Open study, researchers found differences in the kinds of foods people are allergic to.
Among children, Asian kids appeared to have the highest rates of tree nut allergy, as Asian adults had the highest rates of allergic reactions to shellfish and peanuts.
Eggs and fin fish, such as tuna, halibut and salmon, were the biggest trigger for Black children, while Black adults had the highest rates of allergic reactions to tree nuts. The study also found that Black people of any age with a food allergy were most likely to report problems with multiple foods at 50.6 percent.
Hispanic adults, meanwhile, had the most allergic reactions to hen’s eggs and fin fish.
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