THE average cost of living with a food allergy for individuals and families is estimated to be more than £1,400 per year, new research has revealed.
The first ever all-island study funded by safefood found that the average cost for a child with a food allergy or coeliac disease is £1,414 every year and £1,259 for an adult.
The research looks at the socio-economic cost of living with a food hypersensitivity (food allergy, food intolerance and coeliac disease).
The costs are primarily medical costs including hospital visits and stays, as well as the cost of missed days from work, education and the cost of travel associated with medical appointments.
The research, led by teams at Queens University Belfast and the Technological University Dublin, also found 43 per cent of the adult costs (£542) were borne by individual themselves, with the remaining 57 per cent being shared with the health service (£717).
The out-of-pocket costs incurred by parents of food allergic children were slightly lower at 39 per cent (£550), with 61 per cent (£864) being shared with the health service.
For those with coeliac disease, the associated extra costs were £1,365 for an adult, rising to £1,690 for a parent of a coeliac child. These costs were primarily due to medical visits but also health insurance and missed days from work, school or college.
For adults who were coeliac, 71 per cent of costs (£965) were incurred by the individual, with 29 per cent (£400) shared with the health service. For parents of coeliac children, the split was 60/40 per cent.
Dr Gary A Kearney, interim chief executive of safefood, said: "Collectively, these conditions affect at least one in 10 of the population and symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening. What is clear from the research is that living with these conditions is a financial burden for individuals and their families."
Associated researcher Dr Charlene McShane from the Centre for Public Health at Queen's: "The people we surveyed reported a lower health status or quality of life. They had significantly higher levels of pain and discomfort, while anxiety and depression were common among adults and adolescents."
