Honors Projects

Abstract

Pediatric food allergies are a growing public health concern in America due to their potential association with long-term nutritional impacts and reduced quality of life in those affected. Oral food challenges (OFCs) are considered the gold standard for clinical food allergy diagnosis, but few studies have examined if passing or failing an OFC affects overall diet quality in infants. This clinical observational study examined differences in diet quality, measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), among 39 children aged 0–6 years who participated in OFCs at ProMedica Allergy and Immunology Clinic in Perrysburg, Ohio. Parents and caregivers reported daily dietary intake on behalf of the child for one baseline 24-hour diet recall and four post-OFC recalls. Food and nutrient intake data from these recalls were analyzed using the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR), and paired t-tests were run to compare pre- and post-OFC HEI scores between children who failed the OFCs and children who passed. No statistically significant differences in HEI scores were observed in either group and mean HEI scores in both groups were observed to be lower than national HEI averages for this age group. These results suggest that diet quality remains stable and comparable in children who complete OFCs, regardless of OFC outcome. Furthermore, diet quality may be influenced more by established dietary patterns and socioeconomic status (SES) than by food allergy diagnosis alone.

Department

Food and Nutrition

Major

Dietetics

First Advisor

Wan Shen, PhD

First Advisor Department

Public and Allied Health

Second Advisor

HeeSoon Lee, PhD

Second Advisor Department

Social Work

Third Advisor

Madi Stump-Smith

Third Advisor Department

Honors Program

Publication Date

Spring 4-23-2026

Download

Share

COinS