Prevention and Management of Food Allergies

Empathy, Food Allergy

This pilot study will test the use of visual cues to engage food service workers in protecting patrons with food allergies. Food service workers from Philadelphia quick-service restaurants were recruited to participate in a survey of attitudes that includes an embedded randomized experiment testing an experimental cue (photograph of an allergic child) to increase workers' engagement and empathy.

Aim: Investigators pilot-tested a novel strategy to engage food service workers, by using a visual cue to increase the workers empathy for and desire to protect the patrons health and safety. Why intervene with food service workers? Both food allergies and allergenic foods are common, as is eating, making accidental ingestion of allergenic foods almost inevitable. Risks may be particularly pronounced in out-of-home contexts (restaurants, school cafeterias, etc.), where the food allergic person must rely on service workers to assure their safety. Therefore, food service workers are important partners in the prevention of adverse events. Design: Within the context of a survey of food service workers, investigators embedded a randomized experiment. In this experiment, investigators randomly assigned survey participants to one of two conditions: a Personalized vs. Depersonalized Chef Card. Depersonalized Chef Cards included simple written instructions regarding the patron's specific food allergies, including explicit guidance regarding foods to be avoided and information regarding the seriousness of the allergy. Personalized Chef Cards included identical written instructions and information, as well as a photograph of a patron with food allergies. Hypothesis: Service workers exposed to the Personalized (compared to Depersonalized) Chef Cards will demonstrate greater empathy, sympathy, willingness to help, and vigilance regarding food allergies and their management.

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