Abstract / Summary
Abstract Background Food allergies can affect emotional well-being, social participation, and everyday functioning in addition to their physical consequences. This study aimed to examine food allergy-related quality of life and psychosocial burden among individuals aged 18 years and older in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and to explore the psychometric performance of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Adult Form (FAQLQ-AF) in this population. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 58 participants aged 18–70 years who reported a food allergy. Participants completed demographic and food allergy-related questions and the 29-item English-language FAQLQ-AF using a 7-point response scale. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, and an exploratory principal component analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation was used to examine the component structure. Results The FAQLQ-AF demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.971). Exploratory PCA identified four interpretable components relating to allergen avoidance, emotional impact, labelling uncertainty, and social burden, accounting for 73.07% of the variance. Participants reported moderate emotional and social burden, with prominent concerns relating to fear of reactions, unfamiliar foods, and social interactions. Conclusions Food allergies were associated with a multidimensional quality-of-life burden in this UAE sample, particularly in relation to emotional well-being, social interactions, and food-related decision-making. The FAQLQ-AF demonstrated high internal consistency and an interpretable exploratory component structure. Larger and more diverse studies are needed to confirm its psychometric properties in the UAE population.