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Impact of Paediatric-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease on Educational Paths and Careers
Cléa Kunz1, Alain Schoepfer2, Jean-Benoît Rossel3
1Division of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Nutrition, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Insights
Paediatric-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) impacts educational attainment, with higher levels seen in early-onset Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. However, increased absenteeism affects patients with early-onset IBD.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is increasingly diagnosed in children and young adults.
- Limited data exists on the long-term educational and career consequences of paediatric-onset IBD.
- Understanding these impacts is crucial for patient support and healthcare planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of paediatric-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on educational attainment and career trajectories.
- To compare educational outcomes across different age groups at IBD diagnosis.
- To identify factors associated with educational and employment disparities in IBD patients.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from the Swiss Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Cohort Study (May 2006-October 2019).
- Stratification of patients into paediatric (0-17 years), early adult (18-30 years), and late adult (30-65 years) diagnosis groups.
- Comparison of educational level, unemployment, absenteeism, and disability pension across groups.
Main Results:
- Higher educational levels were achieved by paediatric-onset Crohn's disease (CD) and early adult ulcerative colitis (UC) patients.
- No significant differences in unemployment or disability pension rates were observed between age groups.
- Increased absenteeism at enrolment was noted in paediatric-onset CD and UC patients.
- Depression and healthcare utilization correlated with lower educational attainment and higher absenteeism/disability rates.
Conclusions:
- Paediatric-onset CD and early adult UC are associated with higher educational attainment.
- Early-onset IBD, particularly in paediatric patients, is linked to greater absenteeism.
- Mental health and disease burden significantly influence educational and career outcomes in IBD.
Introduction:
Given the paucity of data, we aimed to determine the impact of paediatric-onset inflammatory bowel disease on educational paths and careers.
Methods:
Data from the national prospective Swiss Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Cohort Study from May 2006 to October 2019 were analysed. Patients were stratified into the following groups according to their age at diagnosis: paediatric (0-17 years), early adult (age 18-30 years), and late adult (age 30-65 years). The three groups were compared regarding educational level, unemployment, absenteeism from work, and disability pension.
Results:
Among 2,199 patients, 7.6%, 42.3%, and 50.0% belonged to the paediatric, early adult, and late adult IBD diagnosis group, respectively (55.6% with Crohn's disease [CD] and 44.4% with ulcerative colitis [UC]). Median age at diagnosis was 16.0, 24.2, and 44.3 years old, respectively. A total of 32.8% of paediatric CD patients achieved high educational levels (32.3% early adults, 31.6% late adults, p < 0.001). A total of 46.4% of early adult UC achieve high educational levels (40.8% paediatric, 35.9% late adult, p = 0.002). No significant differences were found between the three age groups with respect to unemployment rate and invalidity rent at both enrolment and last follow-up. Absenteeism was greater in paediatric CD (27.7% vs. 17.8% vs. 16.8%, p = 0.024) and paediatric UC (24.5% vs. 18.2% vs. 14.4%, p = 0.092) at enrolment. Depression and number of hospitalizations or medical consultations are associated with lower educational levels, greater absenteeism, and invalidity rate.
Conclusions:
Higher educational levels are attained by paediatric-onset CD and early adult UC patients, with greater absenteeism in paediatric and early adult-onset IBD.
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