Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39815439›Full record

ArticleClinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology2025

Food Allergy and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents-The Role of Shared Familial Environment.

Hanna Karim, Cecilia Lundholm, Tong Gong, Bronwyn Brew, Michael Silverman, Catarina Almqvist

Abstract readTwin Study
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Food allergy-related bullying in children: Prevalence and psychosocial burden from a mixed-methods study.Pediatric allergy and immunology : official publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology · 2026
    Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Hanna KarimDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-9200-0490
Cecilia LundholmDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6546-3650
Tong GongDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6887-9432
Bronwyn BrewDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9885-8261
Michael SilvermanDepartment of Psychiatry, Icahn Medical School at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.
Catarina AlmqvistDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1045-1898

Funding

Astma- och AllergiförbundetHjärt-LungfondenKarolinska InstitutetRegion StockholmStiftelsen Frimurare Barnhuset i StockholmVetenskapsrådet
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEvidence suggests a link between food allergy and poor mental health, however, this may be explained by shared genetic and environmental factors. We aimed to investigate the association between food allergy of different severity and mental health in children, and the role of familial factors.

methodsThis population-based, longitudinal cohort study is based on the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden with questionnaire data reported by parents and/or children. Food allergy 'ever' and doctor's diagnosis were reported at age 9-12 years, and ≥ 1 recent dispensation of adrenaline was used as a marker for current severe food allergy. Outcomes were identified using validated questionnaires for anxiety; Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED); Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and depression; Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-MDE) and reported at 9-12, 15 and 18 years of age. Multivariate linear and logistic modelling was applied to the whole cohort and a co-twin control approach to remove confounding by familial factors.

resultsIn total, 3039 (8.9%) children had a parent-reported food allergy. Among these, 1292 (43.5%) had non-severe food allergy without diagnosis, 1490 (49%) had non-severe food allergy with diagnosis and 257 (8.5%) had severe food allergy. Compared to children with no food allergy, non-severe food allergy with diagnosis by 9-12 years was associated with parent-reported anxiety/depression; SCARED (adjOR 2.10, 95% CI 1.48-2.98), SMFQ (adjOR 1.92, 95% CI 1.19-3.10) at 9-12 years and SDQ (adjβ 0.2, 95% CI 0.0-0.4) at 15 years. All other associations were null including for those with severe food allergy. All positive estimates in the full cohort were attenuated using co-twin controls.

conclusionEvidence associating paediatric food allergy severity and poor mental health was weak, and positive associations observed were likely due to familial confounding.

Indexed as

Food HypersensitivityMental HealthAdolescentAnxietyChildDepressionFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesSwedenadolescentsanxietychildrendepressionepidemiologyfood allergytwins

Identifiers

PMID39815439
PMCPMC11791381

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.