Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore factors influencing the acceptance of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) for the treatment of allergic respiratory diseases by pediatric patients and their families. METHODS: A total of 406 children (210 males and 196 females) attending the pediatric outpatient clinics and wards of the Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from June 2020 to April 2022. Those who met the criteria for the AIT treatment, were included in the survey. An online 20-item questionnaire was developed. Data on patient's general characteristics, allergic disease status, family history of allergies, general family information, parental knowledge of allergic diseases, and whether the AIT treatment was recommended by a physician, were collected. The patients were divided into two groups according to their willingness to receive AIT: a reluctant or neutral group (n = 182), and a willing group (n = 224). A univariate analysis of the willingness to undergo AIT was done to detect parameters that significantly differed between the groups, and the identified factors were used as independent variables in the multifactorial logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The severity of allergic disease, presence of drug allergy, occurrence of severe allergic reactions, mother's education, distance from home to the hospital, parental knowledge of allergic diseases, and whether the doctor recommended AIT were all statistically different between the groups (p < 0.05). Multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that the degree of allergic rhinitis (AR), or asthma (AS), parental knowledge of allergic diseases, and doctor's recommendation of AIT were the factors that influenced the willingness of pediatric patients to receive AIT. CONCLUSIONS: The severity of AR and AS, parental knowledge of allergic diseases, and doctor's recommendation influenced the willingness of pediatric patients to receive AIT.