School and School-Related Experiences of Children and Adolescents With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Scoping Review

This scoping review explores the school and school-related experiences of children and adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), drawing on 10 studies identified from an initial pool of 2676 records published between 2014 and 2022 across eight countries. The review identifies the following four key themes: school attendance/absenteeism; educational outcomes; general school experience; and school functioning and school-related quality of life outcomes.

This scoping review included studies that were predominantly quantitative in design, with findings synthesised thematically across study types, alongside a narrative summary of quantitative indicators such as absenteeism, school functioning, and school-related quality of life.

The findings reveal that, while educational outcomes for children with IBD were generally not significantly different from their peers (although some studies noted lower academic performance in children with IBD), children with IBD often felt that teachers and peers lacked understanding of their condition, which led to increased stress and sometimes bullying. Furthermore, children with IBD had lower quality-of-life scores related to school functioning compared with healthy peers. Despite these challenges, participation in school activities varied, with some children missing out on physical education and extracurricular activities.

Overall, the review highlights the need for more research directly exploring children's perspectives on the emotional and embodied impact of IBD on their everyday lived school experiences. Furthermore, it emphasises the importance of improving school accommodations and understanding for children with IBD among peers, teachers and wider school staff. Future studies should consider qualitative approaches, including use of creative methods, to deepen the understanding of the complex lived experiences of schoolchildren with IBD.