Date of Award
Fall 2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Hecke, Amy V.
Second Advisor
Kaugars, Astrīda S.
Third Advisor
Gerdes, Alyson C.
Abstract
Food allergy (FA) is a chronic medical condition that affects one out of every 13 children in the United States. Researchers have recently begun utilizing double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials to test novel biological treatments designed to retrain the immune system to be less reactive to food allergens. Although these treatments remain in the clinical trial stage, evidence suggests that individuals differentially engage with these options based on a variety of factors. Using a socioecological framework, this study sought to evaluate the effect of child, parent, and family-level factors on parental interest in clinical trial participation for the treatment of pediatric food allergy. Participants were recruited from four pediatric specialty clinics across the United States. Results indicated that child age was a reliable predictor of interest in clinical trial participation for both Black and White parents of food allergic children. However, examination of parent factors yielded mixed results with clear distinctions between racial groups. Interestingly, none of the family factors examined were found to be significant. Interpretations and conclusions are discussed.