ArticleBMC public health2025
Food allergy knowledge and attitudes among university students in Palestine: a cross-sectional study of determinants and educational needs.
Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFood allergy (FA) is an immune-mediated reaction that can cause anything from minor symptoms such as skin rashes to severe, potentially fatal anaphylaxis. Little is known about FA knowledge and management among Palestinian university students, despite the abundance of studies on the condition in pediatric populations. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to evaluate FA knowledge and attitudes, particularly among Palestinian university students, with the goal of identifying important gaps and investigating behavioral and sociodemographic factors that affect their understanding.
methodsFrom September 2024 to May 2025, a cross-sectional, single-center study was conducted at An-Najah National University in Nablus, Palestine. A total of 424 students from a variety of academic fields were recruited via a convenience sampling technique, and the sample size was determined on the basis of feasibility and the population that was accessible. A questionnaire that was delivered by the interviewer and modified for cultural relevance was taken from the Chicago Food Allergy Research Survey. Demographic characteristics, FA knowledge (18 items), attitudes (9 Likert scale items), and relevant clinical history were all evaluated in four sections of the measure. Both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted, and a composite knowledge score was produced.
resultsAmong the 424 participants (mean age 21 ± 2 years), 68.6% (n = 291) were female. The overall median knowledge score was 52.4% (IQR = 42.9–61.9%). The knowledge of female students was much greater than that of male students (p < 0.001). Additionally, the knowledge scores varied by field of study, with students in the Doctor of Pharmacy (median rank = 243.91) and Medicine (median rank = 240.68) programs demonstrating greater knowledge (p = 0.034). The knowledge scores were significantly higher for those who ate more meals outside the home (p = 0.007). Other variables, including marital status, income, residence, type of residence, and prior training, were not significantly associated with knowledge scores.
conclusionsUniversity students demonstrated multiple knowledge gaps and positive attitudes toward food allergies. Targeted interventions are needed to address these knowledge gaps by adopting a peer-led approach for better outreach strengthened through collaboration with university-based public health institutions and student associations. These interventions should be complemented by institutional safety measures and management protocols implemented in universities.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.