Attitudes and practice of caregivers for cow's milk allergy according to stages of behavior change

OBJECTIVE: To verify the attitudes and practices of dietary management for cow's milk allergy by caregivers according to the stages of behavior change. METHODS: Observational, cross-sectional study involving 30 caregivers of children with cow's milk allergy who were followed up in a specialized outpatient clinic, from July 2018 to May 2019. Data collection included a structured questionnaire about sociodemographic aspects, social classification and an adapted algorithm to classify the stages of behavior change based on a trans-theoretical model. RESULTS: Most caregivers (26/30) were females aged 20 to 48 years and belonging to social classes C, D and E. Regarding the stages of behavior change for the dietary management of cow's milk allergy according to the model, 80% of the participants (24/30) were in the action stage, while 20% (6/30) were in the maintenance stage. CONCLUSIONS: The attitudes and practices of caregivers for the dietary management of cow's milk allergy are influenced by feelings and emotions that can interfere with communication and the understanding of dietary guidelines; however, these caregivers are in different stages of action and maintenance to change behavior that correspond to their attitudes and practices.