An inventory of local information services on early childhood allergy prevention

Aim Professionals and organisations promote health literacy, for instance, by providing evidence-based health information for various contexts, such as early childhood allergy prevention (ECAP). Parents prefer guidance from trusted health and social care professionals, but the specific role of these professionals remains unclear. This study aimed to assess which local actors communicate primary allergy prevention information, through what channels, and in what formats, to identify opportunities for informing parents about ECAP in the future. Subject and methods To investigate the provision of ECAP information, two consecutive Google-based search phases, yielding 363 hits, were conducted across three regions in Germany. Following the exclusion criteria for the 270 hits from the first phase, the included hits were analysed based on the website information. The 93 hits from the second phase were used to conduct a direct inquiry with additional institutions via phone or email. All hits were analysed using a quantitative and qualitative evaluation matrix. Results A total of 114 (31.4%) of the initially identified hits were included in the analysis: 67 from the online search and 47 from the direct inquiry. These were assigned to 6 main categories and 20 subcategories. The largest main category was “Medical care and diagnostics” ( n = 67), followed by “Social support, education and counselling” ( n = 29). The largest subcategory was “Medical practice (general and specialist)” ( n = 42), with paediatrics representing the largest group ( n = 27). Other common subcategories were “Education and counselling centre” ( n = 19), and “Midwife” ( n = 10). Of 114 actors, 34 (30%) offered information focusing on allergy prevention, compared to 65 (57%) that focused on allergy disease information. Fifty-four (47%) provided information on general child health. Conclusion ECAP is communicated mainly by a small group of local healthcare professionals—particularly paediatricians and midwives—usually during face-to-face consultations. Social sector actors—including educational and counselling centres—emerge as underused yet vital touchpoints for parents. Targeted measures for these actors could help to integrate ECAP information into their services.