"Ask before You Eat"—Development of an Educational Campaign on Food Allergies

Abstract

Increasingly children's caregivers (e.g., parents, teachers, babysitters) are faced with the responsibility of supervising eating experiences with children who have food allergies (FAs). Little research has addressed FA knowledge and practices of caregivers and few educational materials are available. Therefore, a statewide “Ask Before You Eat” educational campaign was mandated in New Jersey to inform residents about FAs and how to avoid triggering reactions. Key informant interviews with food and health experts (n = 25) guided the development of the campaign materials. Interviews conducted with caregivers (n = 32) assessed knowledge of FAs; how they would supervise eating situations involving children with FAs; importance they placed on knowing how to prevent triggering FA reactions; and desired format for information delivery. Experts and caregivers both identified fact sheets as preferred educational materials. Follow-up interviews with caregivers (n = 26) revealed that fact sheets were very readable, comprehensive, relevant, and useful. The fact sheets were distributed as part of the statewide educational campaign, which significantly increased food allergy knowledge (p < 0.001) of the public. Campaign lessons learned were three fold: 1) limited funding does not limit campaign scope, 2) utilize creative means of delivering education messages, and 3) engage fellow colleagues as a cost-effective way of further carrying the message to the target audience.