From: Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vol. 19: Issue 5

A recent survey was done in the UK in order to better understand the quality of life of patients with established inflammatory bowel disease. The survey also hoped to explore the disease’s association with, “the type and extent of the disease, gender age, material deprivation and other factors.”

By identifying adults with established inflammatory bowel disease from the records of 23 family practices in northeast England, the health related quality of life was, “assessed by self-completion of the UK Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire.” A total of 556 patients were sent the questionnaire and of those 409 gave, what were determined to be, usable replies.

The results of the survey found that lower qualities of life were significantly associated with women, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis as well as those patients being under specialist care. Patients in more deprived districts also gave lower quality of life scores and those results were, “independent of the type and extent of disease.”