Doctoral Dissertation Research: Schools, Families and Children's Food Allergies

项目摘要博士论文研究：学校、家庭和儿童的食物过敏彼得·康拉德·凡妮莎·洛佩斯·穆尼奥兹·布兰迪斯大学2007年约有4%的儿童报告食物过敏--在十年中增加了近18%。预防和应对严重的过敏反应可能需要学校、餐馆和托儿中心的许多参与者的参与。通过调查多个参与者如何遵守食物过敏政策和指南，这项研究试图填补健康和疾病社会学研究中的一个现有空白。社会学和医学界长期关注的一个问题是，人们在什么条件下、在什么目的下坚持医疗养生。康拉德和其他人认为，病人在很大程度上是根据他们的日常生活做出是否遵循医疗方案的决定，这表明日常社交至少与医患关系一样重要。主要通过改变生活方式来管理的疾病，如改变饮食，引发了关于多个参与者在管理健康状况中所扮演的角色的问题。为了解决这些问题，这项研究调查了家庭和学校如何坚持食物过敏政策。这项研究将扩大关于健康状况管理的知识，这些健康状况正在上升--食物过敏。这项研究的结果可能会为与一系列需要密集改变生活方式的疾病相关的卫生政策提供参考，如哮喘、糖尿病和食物不耐受。医疗保健专业人员、家庭和学校管理人员也可能对研究结果感兴趣。本研究将用于博士论文和本科教学。

Project Summary Doctoral Dissertation Research: Schools, Families and Children's Food AllergiesPeter ConradVanessa Lopes MuñozBrandeis UniversityAbout 4% of children reported a food allergy in 2007-an increase of nearly 18%during the course of a decade. Preventing and responding to severe allergic reactions canrequire the involvement of many actors in schools, restaurants, and childcare centers. Byexamining how multiple actors adhere to food allergy policies and guidelines, this studyseeks to fill an existing gap in sociological studies of health and illness.Intellectual Merit. A longstanding concern in sociology and in medicine is explainingunder what conditions, and to what ends, people adhere to medical regimens. Conrad andothers have argued that ill persons make decisions about following medical regimenslargely based on their everyday lives, making the case that daily social interactions are atleast as important as doctor-patient relationships. Conditions that are managed primarilythrough lifestyle changes,such as changes in diet,raise questions about the role ofmultiple actors in managing health conditions. To address these questions, this studyexamines how families and schools adhere to food allergy policies.Broader Impact. This study would expand knowledge about the management of healthconditions that are rising in prevalence-food allergies. Results from this study mayinform health policies related to an array of conditions that require intensive lifestylechanges, such as asthma, diabetes, and food intolerances. Findings may also be of interestto healthcare professionals, families, and school administrators. This research will beused for a doctoral dissertation and in undergraduate teaching.