Benefits of mobile messenger applicationin caregivers of food allergy children
Kranjana Chayutimaphan,1 Jetsada Arnin,2 Adithep Sawatchai,1 Watcharoot Kanchongkittiphon,1 Wiparat Manuyakorn1
Affiliations:
1 Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
2 Division of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University
Abstract
Background: Unintentional exposure is common in children with food allergies.
Objective: To assess the benefits of newly developed food allergy application.
Methods: Caregivers of children with confirmed immediate reactions to food were enrolled to use the “Kinchew” application for one month. Kinchew provides the detail of food allergens after typing the name of specific food in the chat box. Then, the app provides the product image and detail of food allergens. Kinchew also has a menu for recording food diaries and videos on managing food allergies. Kinchew users were asked to assess their confidence in dealing with food allergies assessed by the questionnaire using 5 points Likert scale. The number of patients who experienced allergic reactions from unintentional food exposure was recorded after using Kinchew.
Results: Seventy caregivers were enrolled. Wheat was the most common causative food in 67% of the participants. All participants used Kinchew with a total use of 1,754 times, classified as food items searching 1080 times (62%), and recorded their food diary 674 times (38%). The number of patients who experienced allergic reactions from unintentional exposure significantly decreased from 61 (87%) to 31 (44%), p < 0.001. The user’s confidence in choosing food improved significantly compared to the baseline score. In the subgroup analysis of the type of causative food, a significant improvement in confidence in food choosing was demonstrated in wheat and multiple food allergy groups.
Conclusions: Well-designed food allergy mobile applications could improve caregivers’ confidence in dealing with food allergies and reduce unintentional food exposure.
Key word: Mobile health, food labeling, food allergen, adverse reaction to food, caregiver confidence