Ethnicity/race and UC

Historically, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was thought to predominantly affect whites. However, IBD is now increasingly recognized in diverse ethnic populations. There is a paucity of studies of IBD in nonwhite populations, especially in Mexican Americans. The aims of this study were to compare the impact of IBD on the quality of life of whites, African Americans, and Mexican Americans and to evaluate differing patient understanding and beliefs regarding IBD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire was administered to 148 patients between June 1999 and November 2003 at a university gastroenterology practice in Houston, Tex. RESULTS: Caucasians (W) comprised 40%, African Americans (AA) 37%, and Mexican Americans (MA) 20% of the respondents. AA and W had predominantly Crohn's disease (CD), whereas MA had predominantly ulcerative colitis (UC; P<0.05). We therefore compared W and AA with CD and W and MA with UC. W were more likely to tell their employers (57% vs 27.5%, P=0.02), fellow employees (68% vs 43.8%, P=0.02) and friends (100% vs 79%, P=0.034) that they had CD. W and AA were equally as likely to have regular checkups by a physician, and there was no difference in the access to gastroenterologists or surveillance colonoscopy. There were fewer differences between MA and W with UC. MA were more likely to believe that UC was caused by stress (70% vs 37%, p=0.044) and cigarette smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences appear among racial and ethnic groups with IBD regarding attitudes toward disease and impact on daily life. Appreciation of varying ethnic and racial perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs among patients with IBD may be critical to more effective management.

IBD also appears to affect certain ethnic groups more than others. For example, American Jews of European descent are four to five times more likely to develop IBD than the general population. IBD has long been thought of as a disease predominantly affecting whites; the prevalence rate (the number of people with a disease at a given time) among whites is 149 per 100,000. However, there has been a steady increase in reported cases of both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis among African Americans. The prevalence rates among Hispanics and Asians are lower than those for whites and African Americans.

:)

This is just anecdotal and probably doesn't warrant any statistical accuracy, but I know 4 people with UC and 4 people with Crohn's. Of the UC people 2 are Anglo (non- Jewish), one is Jewish and one is Hispanic. The people with Crohn's: two are Jewish, one is white and one is Hispanic. I am of Sephardic Jewish descent and Spanish descent. No northern Europeon blood. I wonder if we polled people here on the this forum on ethnicity and race what numbers would we get?

But I guess it does't really matter who gets it more---- nobody really wants this disease anyway

The information I read said that genetically, Ashkinasi Jews had the highest likelihood of developing UC.

Also, something else I read stated that people who use Western toilets have a higher likelihood of having worse symptoms because they don't expel waste completely, whereas squatting, as is common with non-Western, hole in the ground toilets, better expels waste.

Hmm. This is all pretty interesting. I myself am Mexican American. I know 2 people with UC and 1 with Chrons. The two UCers are white males and the Chronie is a white female.

     This is an interesting topic.  When I was first diagnosed my doctor asked me if I was of Jewish descent, as many of his patients are so.  I am not.  I really inherited this disease from my father's side of the family who were English descent but arrived in the US in the 1660's.  My mother's family are of Polish descent and I am second generation born in that line.

This topic has been discussed many times in other threads here. The epidemiology of IBD is changing; more people are now affected by it in countries like Japan & the Philippines where it was previously unknown. Since the U.S. lacks a national health insurance program, it's very hard to get a handle on demographics of IBD here-- so even many doctors have only anecdotal concepts on race/ethnicity of American patients. My gastro will publish a book later this year that updates available data worldwide on this & other subtopics in IBD. / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC ... [etc.])

Will do, Nor_TX. As of now the publication date given is October 2009. / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC ... [etc.])