Around 2.5% of the world population are affected by allergies. Children and their families are part of that affected group. However, there seems to be lack of research and tools that would help and provide valuable designs for these families. This thesis explored if and how interaction design might contribute to make the everyday life easier for families with allergic children.  A design process was conducted based upon both theoretical and qualitative research. With the help of methods from interaction design, this thesis has analyzed and brainstormed possible concepts. The final result is a wearable called All-gen that helps children to scan and get feedback if their food is safe or not.

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<p>Pre-modern societies were subjected to risks attributed to fate, and human-made hazards that were considered manageable. Late-modern society is increasingly exposed to emerging environmental health risks that are products of the modernization process itself (e.g. genetically modified organisms). These risks result from broad changes in the environment and/or human activity. Some of these provoke high public perceptions of risk, and often institutions and communities must respond to these in the absence of scientific knowledge.</p> <p>This dissertation explores the determinants of the perception of food allergies – a recent addition to the environmental risk landscape. A recently assembled national database on food allergies was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression (n=3,462). In parallel, a media analysis of nine years of Canadian newspaper coverage of food allergy issues (n = 598 articles) explored the role of a primary source of risk communication.</p> <p>Results revealed a number of important determinants at the individual-level , as well as a number of experiential (e.g. exposure to food allergy-related information) and attitudinal covariates . The policy environment, was also implicated as an important modifying factor for risk perceptions. The media analysis revealed how food allergies are being constructed by different social actors through the news media, with substantial implications for public understanding. The dissertation concludes with a description of a conceptual framework for characterizing public response to emerging environmental health. This tool may prove crucial for increasing the understanding of the links between people, perceptions, and places as new environmental risks continue to emerge on the landscape.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The prevalence of food allergies is a growing concern in the United States. Approximately 8% of the pediatric population has some form of food allergy. Many of these children are either in the preschool and primary school setting, which is where the majority of allergic reactions occur. If the symptoms of a food allergy reaction are not treated within minutes of exposure, the results can be damaging or fatal. Evidence continues to demonstrate that preschool and school personnel do not feel trained or prepared should a severe reaction arise. The purpose of this evidence-based project was to determine if the implementation and instruction of food allergy guidelines and an educational in-service program on the treatment of food allergies would increase the knowledge and ability of preschool personnel to respond should a reaction occur. The adult learning theory of Knowles and Bandura's theory of self-efficacy were the theoretical frameworks for this project. This project incorporated a 40-minute educational in-service along with the introduction of food allergy guidelines including an emergency action plan and epinephrine auto-injector training. A pretest and posttest were administered prior to and following the educational in-service, respectively. A paired sample t test revealed there was a dramatic increase in knowledge following the educational in-service about food allergy management, recognition, and treatment. Preschool personnel felt more empowered to react should a food allergy reaction occur. By teaching preschool-personnel about food allergies, they will have the necessary resources that will support the creation of a safer environment for children challenged with food allergies.

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Contexte : L’allergie alimentaire est une réaction excessive du système immunitaire en présence d'un aliment ou d'un additif alimentaire. Chez les enfants d’âge scolaire, sa prévalence varie entre 1 et 10%. Sachant qu’il est impossible de garantir un milieu scolaire sans allergène et que des pratiques très diversifiées de gestion des allergies sont actuellement en place, un guide de bonnes pratiques pour la gestion des allergies alimentaires en milieu scolaire primaire à Montréal a été développé. Objectifs : L’objectif général était d’évaluer l’implantation du Guide à partir de l’expérience vécue par les intervenants impliqués dans la phase pilote. Le contexte d’implantation, les facilitateurs et les limites, les raisons de non-implantation, les adaptations apportées, le niveau d’implantation, la participation des intervenants et leur satisfaction ont également été documentés. Méthodologie : La collecte de données fut réalisée dans 10 écoles primaires de 3 commissions scolaires de Montréal selon une méthode de recherche mixte : des méthodes qualitatives ont été utilisées avec entrevues semi-dirigées et observations ainsi que des méthodes quantitatives avec questionnaires autoadministrés. Résultats : Bien que le Guide n’ait pas été implanté intégralement dans les milieux participants, des changements de pratique ont été notés. Une meilleure sensibilisation aux allergies alimentaires chez le personnel et l’ajout de nouvelles mesures préventives font partie des améliorations remarquées. De plus, grâce au projet-pilote, la gestion des allergies alimentaires n’est plus uniquement associée à l’interdiction des noix et des arachides, mais plutôt à l’importance de la prévention sur plusieurs plans. Conclusion : Les données récoltées permettront d’améliorer le Guide pour diffusion éventuelle des bonnes pratiques de gestion des allergies en milieu scolaire dans toutes les écoles primaires de Montréal. Il est aussi raisonnable d’espérer son adoption au niveau provincial. / Context: A food allergy is an excessive reaction of the immune system in the presence of a certain food or food additive. Among school-aged children, its prevalence varies between 1 and 10%. Knowing it is impossible to guaranty that a school is allergen-free and that very diversified allergy management practices are currently in place, a Best practice guide for the management of food allergy in Montreal primary schools has been developed. Objectives: The general objective was to evaluate the implementation of the Guide based on the providers’ experience involved in the pilot phase. The implementation context, facilitators and limits, reasons of non-implementation, adaptations, level of implementation, and providers’ participation and satisfaction were also documented. Methodology: The data was collected in 10 primary schools among 3 Montreal school boards following a mixed research method: qualitative methods were used with semi-directed interviews and observations, as well as quantitative methods with self-administered questionnaires. Results: Even though the Guide was not entirely implemented in participating schools, some improvement was noted. For example, a better awareness regarding food allergies among the school staff and the addition of new preventive measures were noticed. Also, because of the pilot-project, food allergy management is no longer associated with banning nuts and peanuts anymore, but with the importance of prevention in a more global way. Conclusion: The collected data will allow the improvement of the Guide in order to spread the best practice in food allergy management among all Montreal primary schools. We can also reasonably hope for its adoption at the provincial level.

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Food allergies are an increasing health concern in the United States, affecting nearly 6 million children under the age of 18 years. Research has suggested that 18% of school-age children will have their first allergic reactions at school. Life-threatening allergic reactions experienced by children in the school setting are on the rise; however, little is known about how schools implement policies and practices in response to this issue. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to narrow the knowledge gap by examining teachers' knowledge, ability, and confidence level caring for students with food allergies. Bandura's social cognitive theory, which holds that education and experience influence confidence implementing tasks, served as the framework that guided this research. The electronic survey was distributed to a convenience sample of 300 elementary school teachers; 93 respondents completed it. Eighty completed surveys were used in the analysis. Multiple linear regression models were constructed to analyze the relationships among confidence, education, and training related to food allergies. Results showed that teachers who lacked knowledge of food allergies also lacked confidence implementing food allergy plans. School personnel responsible for planning or revising food allergy response protocols can use these findings. The potential for positive social change includes identifying training opportunities, developing policies to sustain food allergy knowledge, and building the capacity of all school staff to implement life-saving measures when children are experiencing allergic reactions.