Health-Related Quality of Life Among Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Case Control Study

The aim of this study is to compare health-related quality of life between inflammatory bowel disease patients and age-/gender-matched controls while taking into account comorbid conditions (such as diabetes and heart disease). Data from the 2015 and 2016 National Health Interview Survey were used. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (n = 951) were age- and gender-matched to noninflammatory bowel disease patients (n = 3,804). Patients with inflammatory bowel disease were more likely to be diagnosed with an airway disease (p < .000), heart disease (p < .000), or stomach cancer (p < .001) than age- and gender-matched individuals without inflammatory bowel disease. Even after controlling for these comorbidities, sociodemographic characteristics as well as health-related behaviors, patients with inflammatory bowel disease had significantly lower health-related quality of life than individuals of the same age and gender. Inflammatory bowel disease appears to be associated with particularly low levels of health-related quality of life. Alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity, and body mass index may be risk factors for a decreased health-related quality of life.