Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jul;13(6):946-957.
doi: 10.1002/ueg2.12772. Epub 2025 Feb 13.

Young Adult Patients With Paediatric-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease Have a Higher Educational Level and a Higher Employment Rate Than the General Population

Hélène Sarter  1   2 , Mathilde Le Coniac  3 , Ariane Leroyer  1   2 , Guillaume Savoye  4 , Mathurin Fumery  5 , Nathalie Guillon  1   2 , Corinne Gower-Rousseau  6 , Delphine Ley  2   3 , Dominique Turck  2   3 ; EPIMAD study group
Affiliations

Young Adult Patients With Paediatric-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease Have a Higher Educational Level and a Higher Employment Rate Than the General Population

Hélène Sarter et al. United European Gastroenterol J. 2025 Jul.

Abstract

Background & aims: There are few published data on the impact of paediatric-onset inflammatory bowel diseases on education and employment. The objective of the present cross-sectional study was to assess the educational level and occupational status of adult patients with paediatric-onset inflammatory bowel diseases from the EPIMAD Registry.

Methods: The inclusion criteria were (i) a diagnosis of paediatric-onset (< 17 years at diagnosis) inflammatory bowel diseases, and (ii) age 25 or over at the time of study. The patients answered a self-questionnaire on their educational level and profession. The data were compared with those of the general population of the same age and geographic area.

Results: Three hundred and sixty-one patients (286 with Crohn's disease and 75 with ulcerative colitis) filled out and returned the questionnaire. The median [interquartile] age was 15.0 [12.9; 16.3] years at diagnosis and 34.2 [29.6; 39.5] years at the time of the study. Patients were more likely to have a higher education degree than the general population (57% vs. 41%, p < 0.0001). The unemployment rate was significantly lower among study participants than among the general population (9% vs. 15%, p = 0.001). Salaried patients were significantly more likely to be employed in the healthcare sector (14% vs. 9% in the general population; p = 0.005) and in the public sector (34% vs. 22% in the general population; p < 0.0001).

Conclusion: Our results showed that relative to the general population, patients with paediatric-onset inflammatory bowel diseases have a higher educational level and a higher employment rate, and are more likely to work in the healthcare and public sectors.

Keywords: Crohn's disease; education; inflammatory bowel disease; profession; ulcerative colitis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

G.S. has served as a speaker for MSD France, Ferring France, Abbvie France, and Vifor France. C.G.R. has served as a speaker for Ferring France & International, Takeda France, Tillotts France, Janssen International, and MSD France. M.F. has received lecture fees or consultancy fees from MSD, Abbvie, Takeda, Ferring, Gilead, Celgene, Celltrion, Biogen, Amgen, Fresenius, Galapagos, Tillotts, Ferring, Janssen, Hospira, Pfizer, Arena, CTMA, and Boehringer. D.L. has received lecture fees from Abbvie and Sandoz. D.T. has received lecture fees from Sandoz. H.S., M.L., and A.L. have nothing to declare.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The highest educational qualification or degree obtained (Panel a) and the socioprofessional categories in the occupied labour force population (Panel b) among patients with paediatric‐onset IBD versus the general population.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Relationship between the highest educational qualification or degree obtained and the reply concerning the impact of IBD on educational choices (Panel a) and the progression of education (Panel b) among patients with paediatric‐onset IBD.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Data from the analysis of the patients' free‐form, plain‐language comments on the study questionnaire. The stated percentage corresponds to the proportion of patients having given free‐form comments (n = 238). (a) The main difficulties encountered during the patients' education. (b) The main impacts of IBD on the progression of patients' education. (c) The patients' criteria for choosing a profession.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ghione S., Sarter H., Fumery M., et al., “Dramatic Increase in Incidence of Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease (1988‐2011): A Population‐Based Study of French Adolescents,” American Journal of Gastroenterology 113, no. 2 (2018): 265–272, 10.1038/ajg.2017.228. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kuenzig M. E., Fung S. G., Marderfeld L., et al., “Twenty‐First Century Trends in the Global Epidemiology of Pediatric‐Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Systematic Review,” Gastroenterology 162, no. 4 (2022): 1147–1159.e4, 10.1053/j.gastro.2021.12.282. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Duricova D., Burisch J., Jess T., Gower‐Rousseau C., and Lakatos P. L., and ECCO‐EpiCom , “Age‐Related Differences in Presentation and Course of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An Update on the Population‐Based Literature,” J Crohns Colitis 8, no. 11 (2014): 1351–1361, 10.1016/j.crohns.2014.05.006. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Herzog D., Fournier N., Buehr P., et al., “Prevalence of Intestinal Complications in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Comparison Between Paediatric‐Onset and Adult‐Onset Patients,” European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology 29, no. 8 (2017): 926–931, 10.1097/meg.0000000000000896. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ley D., Duhamel A., Behal H., et al., “Growth Pattern in Paediatric Crohn Disease Is Related to Inflammatory Status,” Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 63, no. 6 (2016): 637–643, 10.1097/mpg.0000000000001177. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types