The success of elimination diet in Indonesian children with food allergy: The role of caregiver⇔s stress, family activities, and coping

Background: Elimination diet is the most effective treatment in treating children with food allergy. However, in its implementation, the success of elimination diet depends on a variety of factors, especially their caregiver. Objectives: This study analyzed the correlation between caregiver’s stress, coping strategy, and family’s daily activities on the success of elimination diet in Indonesian children with food allergy. Methods: Participants in this study were caregiver of Indonesian children with food allergy who received elimination diet for 4 weeks. Participants were measured for caregiver’s stress, family’s daily activities, and family’s coping strategy after elimination diet. Caregiver’s stress was measured using PSS, family’s daily activities used FAIS, and while family’s coping strategy used F-COPES. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression, with p <0.05. Results: The success rate of elimination diet in Indonesian children with food allergy was 43.64%. There was no significant correlation between caregiver’s stress and elimination diet in Indonesian children with food allergy (t = -0.145; 95% CI -0.014 – 0.012; p = 0.886). A significant correlation was found between FAIS and elimination diet in Indonesian children with food allergy (t = -2,297; 95% CI -0.179 – -0.012; p = 0.026). Moreover, caregiver’s coping strategy significantly correlated with elimination diet in Indonesian children with food allergy (t = 16,154; 95% CI 0.034 – 0.043; p <0.001). Conclusion: The success of elimination diet in Indonesian children with food allergy is influenced by family’s daily activities and coping strategy, while caregiver’s stress has no significant influence.