The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of food allergy knowledge and management of the teachers and operators of childcare facilities in the Daejeon Area. Surveys were conducted on 262 teachers and 50 operators of child care facilies in Dong-gu and Jung-gu in Daejeon. The prevalence of food allergies were 3.6% (102 children). The main symptoms of food allergies were skin-related including hives, rashes, and itching. Among the major allergenic foods were nuts (28.4%), milk and dairy products (19.6%), and eggs (13.7%). The physician diagnosis of food allergies were at a rate of 60.8%, and 97.1% of parents explained the food allergies situation of children in childcare facilities. In the surveys testing the teachers’ knowledge on problems of children'' food allergies, the highest score was 3.79 ± 0.83 for ‘nutritional imbalance’. The average scores of correct answers on food allergies and anaphylaxis were 0.68±0.18 and 0.18±0.22, respectively. The teachers wanted to conduct allergy prevention education at the child care facility to manage food allergy. The needs for food allergy education among teachers and operators was at 88.2% and 98%, respectively. All the childcare facilities in this study provide foodservice menu to the parents, but only 14 facilities (28%) provided alternative food to children with food allergies and some of the 14 facilities did not provide adequate alternatives.
In this study, the need for systemized management of children food service and food allergy education was confirmed based on the results of food allergy status survey done in the childcare facilities.
To ensure the healthy growth of children and systematic management of food allergy, all childcare facilities should conduct more accurate food allergy information survey among the children involved, and consisently carry out food allergy education for their teachers and operators. To provide customized nutrition management for children with food allergies, a variety of alternative food menus suitable for childcare facilities should be developed. In addition, the food allergy management system in childcare facilities should consistently be complemented by a long-term study of nutritional status of those children with food allergies, who have received alternative foods menus.