Out‐of‐pocket expenses and parent reported quality of life in children with cow's milk protein allergy in Bogotá, Colombia

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveTo identify the out‐of‐pocket expenses and parent‐reported quality of life (QoL) of children with a diagnosis of cow's milk protein allergy between the ages of 0 and 5 using the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire – Parent Form.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted in two tertiary care centers in Bogotá. Demographic, medical information, and QoL scores were collected by parental interview. We carried out a cost‐of‐illness analysis based on self‐reported out‐of‐pocket expenses attributed to the treatment as a whole and the family's monthly income. Exploratory analyses used the QoL scores and the percentage of out‐of‐pocket expenses attributable to treatment as outcomes.Results122 families were analyzed. Median subject age was 17 months (Q1–Q3: 11–26.75 months) and female subjects made up 71% of the sample. The median QoL score was 3.21 points (Q1–Q3: 2.43–4.34) and only differed by age groups and personal history of other food allergies. The median out‐of‐pocket treatment related costs was 300,000 Colombian pesos (COP) (Q1–Q3: 280,000–340,000 COP). About 17% of the families had to pay over 15% of their monthly income to purchase food and dietary products. Out‐of‐pocket treatment related costs differed depending on whether the treatment included formulas (Mann–Whitney test p < 0.001). Out‐of‐pocket treatment expenses were uncorrelated with the QoL scores.ConclusionFood allergy related QoL scores were not associated with out‐of‐pocket expenses as a whole or as a fraction of monthly income but were higher in children with additional food allergies and in older age groups, suggesting a lower QoL.