Incidence trends of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in Finland, 1987-2003, a nationwide study
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Pieta Lehtinen1, Merja Ashorn, Sari Iltanen
1Pediatric Research Centre, University of Tampere, Finland. pieta.lehtinen@uta.fi
Insights
Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) incidence in Finland rapidly increased between 1987-2003. Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) showed significant nationwide uptrends in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Characterizing pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) incidence is crucial for understanding disease burden.
- Temporal trends in pediatric IBD require ongoing investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence and temporal trends of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Finland.
- To analyze regional variations in pediatric IBD incidence.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Social Insurance Institution database for pediatric IBD cases diagnosed between 1987-2003 in Finland.
- Calculated annual incidence rates per 100,000 children, including 95% confidence intervals.
- Assessed regional differences across 21 hospital districts.
Main Results:
- Pediatric IBD incidence rose from 5 to 15 per 100,000 children from 1987 to 2003, a 6.5% annual increase.
- Crohn's disease (CD) incidence increased from 2-5 and ulcerative colitis (UC) from 4-9 per 100,000 between 1992-2003.
- Trends were consistent across genders and age groups.
Conclusions:
- Finland exhibits a high incidence of childhood IBD, particularly UC.
- A significant nationwide increase in both CD and UC incidence occurred over two decades.
Background:
The present study aimed to characterize the incidence of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Finland and determine its temporal trends.
Methods:
The patients' data were based on the database of the Social Insurance Institution. New cases diagnosed with IBD at the age <18 years in Finland between years 1987-2003 were included. Annual incidence rates were calculated per 100,000 pediatric populations (with 95% confidence intervals [CI]). The country is divided into 21 hospital districts and regional differences were evaluated accordingly.
Results:
The incidence of pediatric IBD increased from 5 per 100,000 in 1987 to 15 per 100,000 in 2003. The average rate of increase was 6.5% per year (95% CI 5.4%-7.5%). The trends were comparable for boys and girls, also by age group. Information on disease subtype was available from 1992 and during this 12-year period the incidence of Crohn's disease (CD) increased from 2-5 per 100,000 and that of ulcerative colitis (UC) from 4-9 per 100,000.
Conclusions:
Our results demonstrate a very high incidence rate for childhood IBD and in particular UC in Finland. Furthermore, a rapid increase took place nationwide in the incidence of both CD and UC during the past two decades.
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