The Mediating Effects of Parenting Stress on the Relationship between the Health Problems of Children with Food Allergies and the Perceived Health Status of Parents

Background: Understanding and managing the health of children diagnosed with food allergies and their families are becoming increasingly important. The purpose of this study was to verify the mediating effect of parenting stress on the relationship between the health problems of children with food allergies and the perceived health status of parents. Methods: A self-report questionnaire was administered to 80 parents of children diagnosed with allergies to determine the child’s food allergy characteristics, concerns about the child’s health, parents’ health status, and parenting stress, through which the number of allergy-inducing foods, the structural relationship between health concerns about children, parenting stress, and perceived parental health status, and the indirect effects of parenting stress were verified. Results: Parenting stress statistically significantly mediated the relationship between children’s health problems and perceived health status of parent. Conclusions: Reducing the parenting stress of parents of children with food allergies can increase parents’ health status. Since parental health is an important factor in child management, it is suggested that parenting stress interventions be included in the comprehensive management of children with food allergies.