Correlation between nutritional status and children's activity with food allergy: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Food allergy in children affects nutritional status that limits their daily activities to prevent eating various foods to avoid allergic reactions. OBJECTIVE: Analyzing the relationship between nutritional status and daily activities in children with food allergies. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional design that was carried out on children diagnosed with food allergies who underwent outpatient management of food allergies. The data were collected from January to May 2021 that included participant characteristics, nutritional status, and daily activities. Data analysis used Chi-Square and spearman rho test with p < 0.05. RESULTS: There was a significant relationship between age and FAIS (CI 1.83–4.24; p = 0.025). In addition, there was no significant relationship between the affected organs and FAIS (OR = 0.174; p = 0.052). Meanwhile, the relationship between nutritional status and FAIS was significant (OR = 0.161; p = 0.007). There was no significant relationship between parental education and FAIS (OR = 0.817; p = 0.776) as well as sex of the child and FAIS (OR = 0.982; p = 0.977). CONCLUSION: Daily activities of children with food allergies are influenced by the nutritional status of children and children's age in choosing food.