Study Highlights Global Data on Food Allergy-Related Airline Travel Concerns

A variety of preventive measures are reportedly taken to avoid adverse food allergy outcomes during air travel, according to new findings, including making specific requests for accommodation that are frequently found not to be provided as assured.^1,2

These data were the conclusion of new research conducted by the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research at Northwestern University (CFAAR). Food allergy prevalence around the world is known to have risen substantially in recent years, resulting in a variety of challenges for those who practice air travel and their families,

As a consequence of the increasing awareness of such issues, the CFAAR’s new analysis was conducted with the goal of collecting global data related to travelers’ views, experiences, and behaviors related to food allergy and airline travel.

“We are not asking for the moon and stars, we just want reasonable accommodations that are promised in advance of travel to be honored at 30,000 feet,” study co-author Lianne Mandelbaum, said in a statement. “On every flight it is uncertain if and how crew members will accommodate nut allergies, and this adds tremendous unnecessary stress.”²

Design and Notable Findings

The investigators, from the period between October 2022 – January 2023, provided an electronic survey that was designed in collaboration with international food allergy stakeholders. They targeted individuals with food allergy and the caregivers of these individuals.

The research team recruited subjects through 45 patient advocacy organizations as well as research institutions, with 4704 responses in total gathered by the team. The investigators noted that among these participants, 88.4% were female and 67.7% were aged 40 – 59 years. Additionally, they expressed that 75.8% were non-Hispanic White and 79.6% resided within the US.

After assessing respondents through the survey, the investigative team found that 8.5% of subjects noted that they had experienced at least a single in-flight allergic reaction. Additionally, the team found that, specifically, these reactions were associated most-commonly with tree nuts (2.4%), peanuts (3.9%), and milk (0.6%), the most common triggers.

The research team also found that epinephrine had been implemented during 15.1% of these reported incidents. They added that in 91.7% of such cases, epinephrine has been self-carried.

The team highlighted that despite the severity of certain reactions, only 57.4% were reported to flight crews over the course of these flights or reported to airlines following plane landings.

Many of the respondents reported having taken precautionary measures with the aim of preventing adverse reactions, and asked for related accommodations. However, it was noted that these were not always provided as hoped, with subjects often describing heightened anxiety associated with food allergy management during air travel.

In fact, airline policies and factors associated with such policies played a major role in the respondents’ travel decisions. Overall, major challenges related to air travel pose barriers to effective food allergy management, though consistent enforcement of the policies deemed to be well-designed may have potential to improve the safety and comfort of those with food allergy.

“These data clearly show that air travel is a major stressor for those affected by food allergy — to the point that food allergy-related airline policies were the single-most important consideration respondents identified when making air-travel decisions — taking priority over factors like the proximity of the airport to their home, flight duration and price,” lead author Christopher Warren, director of population health research at Northwestern’s CFAAR, said in a statement.²

References

1. ^{Warren C, Herbert L, Gupta R, et al. Understanding Experiences, Barriers, and Facilitators of Safe Airline Travel: A Global Survey of Food Allergy Patients and Caregivers. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, Volume 12, Issue 12, 3372 – 3382.}
2. ^{Food allergy anxiety at 30,000 feet. EurekAlert! December 5 , 2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1066424. Date accessed: December 4, 2024.}