P213 Having Inflammatory Bowel Disease Negatively Impacts Household and Family Life
Paulides, E.(1);Cornelissen, D.(1,2);van der Woude, C.J.(1);
(1)Erasmus University Medical Center- Rotterdam- The Netherlands, Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands;(2)University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Groningen, The Netherlands
Background
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can have a major impact on different aspects of life. This study aimed to provide insight into the impact of IBD on household and/or family life, and to determine whether this differed between sex.
Methods
Between September and December 2020, adult IBD patients from the outpatient clinic of the Erasmus Medical Center (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) were invited to fill out a survey. A questionnaire was developed to measure the impact of IBD on functioning in the household and on family planning. Generic disability and work disability were measured with the IBD Disability Index (IBD-DI) and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (WPAI-IBD). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and tests for independent groups.
Results
Of the 229 patients who participated (response rate 74%), 68% had Crohn’s disease, 69% was female and the median age was 38.0 years. Many patients experienced difficulties with domestic activities (55.0%), leisure (53.9%), parenting (50.6%), sexual activities (48.4%) and interpersonal relationships (39.1%) because of IBD in the past week. Furthermore, 32.7% of patients felt that IBD interfered with their desire to have children. Female sex was associated with more severe limitations in various aspects of household life, more interference in family planning and higher generic disability scores.
Conclusion
IBD had a markedly negative impact on household and/or family life in many patients. In order to optimize patient care, physicians need to be aware of household and family related difficulties and strive for a holistic treatment approach.