The utility of social cognition models in explaining adherence to self-care behaviours amongst adolescents and young adults with food allergy

Abstract

Anaphylaxis can be triggered by a number of allergens the most common being food, medications, insect venom and latex. Due to the sudden onset and potentially fatal nature of anaphylaxis, successful management requires prompt and appropriate use of emergency medication. A failure to follow recommended medical advice remains a barrier to the control of many medical conditions, and food allergy and anaphylaxis are no exception. Studies have shown that use of emergency medication for anaphylaxis, by both health professionals and patients, is suboptimal. Identification of the nature and extent of health professionals’ and patients’ poor management of anaphylaxis enabled better understanding of the factors influential in the successful management of anaphylaxis, and guided the application of two Social Cognition Models in this area. This thesis explores the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Common Sense Model (CSM) to determine if either can explain adherence to self-care behaviours (SCBs) amongst adolescents and young adults with food allergy.

Date of Award	2012
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Brighton