P853 Environmental factors in a population-based inception cohort of inflammatory bowel disease patients in the Faroe Islands compared to inflammatory bowel disease patients in Eastern and Western Europe – An Epi-IBD study

Abstract

Abstract Background The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the Faroe Islands is the highest in the world and has increased dramatically over the past sixty years - possibly due to changes in environmental factors towards a more “westernised” standard of living. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in exposure to environmental factors prior to diagnosis in the Faroe Islands, and to compare the results to Eastern and Western European IBD patients. Methods The Faroese Epi-IBD study group is a nationwide, prospective inception cohort of 388 unselected IBD patients from the Faroe Islands covering a background population of 53,000 inhabitants. Patients were diagnosed between 2010 and 2021. At the time of diagnosis patients were asked to complete the 87-item IOIBD questionnaire concerning environmental factors. Findings were compared to Eastern and Western European IBD patients from the Epi-IBD cohort. Results A total of 311 patients (80.2 %) answered the questionnaire, 46 (14.8 %) had Crohn’s disease (CD), 217 (69.8 %) had ulcerative colitis (UC), and 48 (15.4 %) had IBD unclassified (IBDU). The number of former smokers, breastfeeding, coffeine intake, and oral contraceptive was higher than both Eastern and Western Europe. Vaccination against tuberculosis, measles, and rubella was similar to Western Europe; while vaccination against pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, and polio was similar to Eastern Europe. Childhood diseases of measles, pertussis, rubella, mumps were higher than both Eastern and Western Europe. Fruit and vegetable intake was lower than both Eastern and Western Europe. High sugar intake, and fast-food intake was similar to Eastern Europe. Conclusion Faroese IBD patients differ in terms of exposure to environmental factors prior to the diagnosis to both Eastern and Western Europe patients. Analysis of the impact of environmental factors on difference in disease course and incidence between the Faroese Epi-IBD study group and the Eastern Europe and Western Europe Epi-IBD cohort are currently in progress.