An estimated 1 in 17 children, or 5.8%, were diagnosed with a food allergy in the U.S. in 2021, according to a recent analysis, yet the largest percentage was found among Black children, of whom 7.6% had a food allergy. A 2021 study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice found that Black children with food allergies also higher rates of having asthma, a condition that was estimated to be a factor in up to 75% of anaphylaxis fatalities in recent research.
While the exact reasons for the racial disparities in food allergies are multiple and complex, many experts link the causes to many of the same social factors and problems with health care access that contribute to worse outcomes for African Americans with asthma.
