Food allergies take a serious toll on quality of life — and women bear the brunt of it. A Spanish study of 502 patients found that women with multiple food allergies reported the worst health-related quality of life scores. Poor quality of life was 2.5 times more common in women than men, highlighting a significant gender gap in how food allergies are experienced.
Food allergies are more than just a dietary inconvenience — they carry a lasting psychological and emotional burden, and a new study shows that burden falls disproportionately on women. Researchers analyzed data from 502 patients across 19 centers in Spain and found that female sex, multiple food allergies, vegetable allergy, and a history of severe allergic reactions were the strongest predictors of poor food allergy-related quality of life (FA-HRQL).
The findings, published in Allergy, showed that adults fared worse than younger patients overall, but women consistently scored higher on impairment across all domains. Decision tree analysis revealed that women with seven or more food allergies had the worst outcomes of any group, while men with a single food allergy had the least negative impact.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: These findings make a strong case for routinely screening food allergy patients with validated quality-of-life tools. Clinicians should consider multidisciplinary support — including psychology and nutrition — especially for women managing multiple food allergies.
