Prevalence, incidence and mortality of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in Catalonia (EPIBDCat)

The epidemiologic status of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD) has not been widely studied in Western Europe. The prevalence and incidence trends of the disease are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, incidence and mortality of PIBD in Catalonia in the period 2011-2023.

A longitudinal study from 2011 to 2023 was performed using population-based data from the Catalan Health Surveillance System (CHSS). Data on prevalence, incidence and mortality of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in patients under the age of 18 years were obtained. Trends in age- and sex-adjusted rates were estimated. Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) were also analysed separately.

The number of prevalent PIBD cases rose from 307 in 2011 to 725 in 2023, with increases of 173% in UC and 113% in CD. The age- and sex adjusted prevalence of PIBD rose from 23 (95%CI 20.5-25.7) to 48.1 (95%CI 44.7-51.7) per 100,000 children. Annual incidence doubled, from 81 to 168. Age- and sex- adjusted incidence rates increased from 6 to 11.2 per 100,000 children/year with data suggesting a flattening of the incidence curve in recent years. All-cause mortality was low: seven patients died during the study period with a mean estimated mortality of 0.5 per 100 patients/year.

The prevalence of PIBD is increasing rapidly in Catalonia. We observed also a trend towards a flattening trend in incidence that may suggest that prevalence might stabilize in the coming years.