PATIENTS PERCEPTIONS OF FOOD-INDUCED ASTHMA

Background: The influence of diet in asthma control remains unclear. H owever, there is likely to be a wide gap between patient perceptions a nd the probable actual role. Some 20-60% of people with asthma report food as a trigger factor while approximately 2.5% react to double-blin d placebo-controlled challenges. The aim of this study was to determin e: the frequency, type and sources of dietary advice being offered to patients, the prevalence of dietary modification, whether dietary chan ges were perceived to be of benefit and the type and sources of food/b everage reactions that people perceive they have experienced. Method: A self-administered 'food and asthma' questionnaire was developed and mailed to 156 consecutive Alfred Hospital Asthma and Allergy Clinic pa tients registered on a computer database. Results: The completed quest ionnaire response rate was 86.5%. Dietary advice had been offered to 4 7% of respondents while 61% had tried to modify their diet. Dietary re striction was the most common dietary modification. Where dietary rest riction had occurred 79% of respondents perceived that this had improv ed their asthma control. A doctor was the most common source of dietar y advice. Seventy-three per cent reported that food induced asthma. Co nclusion: We confirmed that patients with asthma perceived diet to be important in their asthma control and that dietary modification is com mon despite its lack of objective basis. The influence of diet and ast hma requires more research, evaluation and clinical attention.