Along with the rest of the graduating class, Knowledge Integration student and GoHelP lab member Alexandra Olarnyk will be presenting her honours thesis poster Friday March 27th, 2015. Supervised by Professor Susan Elliott, Alex's thesis looks at the experiences and perceptions of food allergy on the University of Waterloo campus.
Alexandra Olarnyk's poster
Title: Food Allergic University Student Experiences and Perceptions of Food Allergy on Campus: A Case Study of the University of Waterloo
Supervisor: Susan Elliott, Geography and Environmental Management & School of Public Health and Health Systems
Abstract:
With the prevalence of food allergies within Canada estimated at approximately 7%, researchers have sought the perspectives of a variety of individuals to inform our understanding of food allergy risk and perception (Soller et al., 2012). However, university students’ experiences and perceptions on food allergies is an area of little research. This is the first study of its kind to explore and capture the experiences and perceptions of food allergic university students through focus groups. The two main objectives include (1) to understand how food allergic university students experience and perceive food allergy risk on campus and (2) to understand their management and coping strategies. Investigating these experiences can help to better understand the risks associated with food allergies on campus and uncover any unmet needs of these individuals.