FOOD ALLERGY PREVALENCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT BEHAVIOURS INFLUENCING STUDENT WELLBEING IN MALAYSIAN UNIVERSITY CONTEXT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJMOE.830059Keywords:
Food Allergies, Food Safety, Higher Education, Risk-Taking Behaviour, Student WellbeingAbstract
Food allergies are a major public health concern that significantly impacts student wellbeing, particularly in higher education settings where students are expected to independently manage dietary risks. Driven by the Health Belief Model (HBM), this study examined the prevalence of food allergies, self-management practices, and allergy-related behavioral risk practices among university students in Malaysia. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed. Data were collected using a structured bilingual questionnaire and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 30. OuFood allergies are a major public health concern that significantly impacts student wellbeing, particularly in higher education settings where students are expected to independently manage dietary risks. Driven by the Health Belief Model (HBM), this study examined the prevalence of food allergies, self-management practices, and allergy-related behavioral risk practices among university students in Malaysia. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed. Data were collected using a structured bilingual questionnaire and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 30. Out of 370 respondents, 31.1% (n=115) reported a medically diagnosed food allergy. Within this cohort, 61.4% frequently engaged in high-risk habits, with 47.9% consuming unverified ingredients, 37.4% neglecting allergen labels, and 81.7% failing to carry emergency rescue medication. Interpreted through the HBM, these findings indicate low perceived susceptibility and perceived severity regarding potential anaphylactic events, alongside high perceived barriers to compliance. These risk behaviors significantly elevate the probability of adverse allergic reactions, compromising student well-being. This study provides important baseline data with a theoretically grounded empirical assessment of food allergy self-management among Malaysian university students. Ultimately, the results highlight the need to adjust environmental cues to action through required allergen declaration on campus menus, food handler safety training, campus allergy awareness efforts, and improved emergency clinic protocols.
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