‘You grow with the allergy’: a grounded theory study of families’ experiences with food allergy risk or diagnosis in early childhood
Objective Childhood food allergy is increasing in western societies. Preventing and managing food allergies is therefore essential for both parents and children. Given the limited previous research on parents’ experiences of food allergy prevention in early childhood, this study aimed to develop a grounded theory to understand the experiences and interactions of families whose children are at risk of, or have been diagnosed with, food allergy. Design Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, we used initial, focused and theoretical coding, as well as constant comparative analysis and memoing to interpret our data. Setting Thematic interviews were conducted in Germany between March and September 2022. Participant We included 28 carers (25 mothers and 3 fathers) of children aged 0–3 years diagnosed with food allergy or at risk of food allergy. We recruited participants using snowball and theoretical sampling. Results We developed a theory that we named ‘negotiating uncertainty in
