Changes in awareness and knowledge as a result of training on initial response to anaphylaxis in children with food allergies in nursery schools: An assessment of differences according to facility and employee characteristics

Abstract

Objectives: The present study aimed to elucidate differences in the awareness and knowledge of anaphylaxis management at pre-training (baseline), post-training, and 6 months post-training, according to differences in nursery school attributes and employee characteristics among those who participated in training on initial response to anaphylaxis in children with food allergies.

Methods: We analyzed differences in the "awareness of anaphylaxis management" and "knowledge of EpiPen^®" at baseline according to nursery school attributes and employee characteristics. We also analyzed differences in training effectiveness according to characteristics using the Mann-Whitney U test.

Results: The prevalence of nursery school employees with "a feeling of burden when accepting children who carry EpiPen^®" was significantly lower at facilities with nurse (s). Nursery school employees who worked at a facility with children who carry EpiPen^® or who had an experience of participating in training were significantly more knowledgeable. Changes in the level of knowledge were substantial among nursery school employees who worked at a facility without nurse (s) or without children who carry EpiPen^® and among those who had experience participating in training.

Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggest the need to promote the placement of nurses at nursery schools throughout the country and to create a system that supports and facilitates periodic and continuous training for nurses to serve as the key persons for anaphylaxis management. The challenge going forward is to create educational materials that enable nursery school employees to gain the ability to make clinical judgments.