TY - JOUR
T1 - The Impact of Educational Status on the Occurrence of Colonic Diverticula
T2 - Insights from an Austrian Cohort Study
AU - Völkerer, Andreas
AU - Wernly, Sarah
AU - Semmler, Georg
AU - Flamm, Maria
AU - Radzikowski, Konrad
AU - Datz, Leonora
AU - Aigner, Elmar
AU - Datz, Christian
AU - Wernly, Bernhard
N1 - Lehr-KH Oberndorf;
S Wenly, L Datz, C Datz, Wernly: Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital Oberndorf, Teaching Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Semmler: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Flamm, Wernly: Institute of General Practice, Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria;
PY - 2024/3/12
Y1 - 2024/3/12
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Education often reflects socioeconomic status. Research indicates that lower socioeconomic status may increase the risk of diverticulosis, and ccording to data from the USA, diverticular disease is a significant and costly health problem. Our study explores the link between educational level and colonic diverticula occurrence.SUBJECT AND METHODS: We conducted a cohort study on 5,532 asymptomatic Austrian patients who underwent colonoscopy, categorizing them by education level using the updated Generalized International Standard Classification of Education (GISCED). Logistic regression models, adjusting for age, gender, metabolic syndrome, diet, and activity, were used to determine the association between education and diverticulosis.RESULTS: Overall, 39% of the patients had low educational status, while 53% had medium, and 8% had high educational status. Colon diverticula were less frequent in patients with medium (OR 0.73) and high (aOR 0.62) educational status. Medium educational level remained associated with lower rates of diverticulosis after adjustment for age and sex (aOR 0.85) and further metabolic syndrome, dietary habits, and physical activity (aOR 0.84). In higher education status this phenomenon was only seen by trend.CONCLUSION: Low education correlated with higher colon diverticula risk, while medium education showed lower rates even after adjustments. This trend persisted at higher education levels, highlighting the potential for strategies for cost-reduction tailored to socioeconomic conditions.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Education often reflects socioeconomic status. Research indicates that lower socioeconomic status may increase the risk of diverticulosis, and ccording to data from the USA, diverticular disease is a significant and costly health problem. Our study explores the link between educational level and colonic diverticula occurrence.SUBJECT AND METHODS: We conducted a cohort study on 5,532 asymptomatic Austrian patients who underwent colonoscopy, categorizing them by education level using the updated Generalized International Standard Classification of Education (GISCED). Logistic regression models, adjusting for age, gender, metabolic syndrome, diet, and activity, were used to determine the association between education and diverticulosis.RESULTS: Overall, 39% of the patients had low educational status, while 53% had medium, and 8% had high educational status. Colon diverticula were less frequent in patients with medium (OR 0.73) and high (aOR 0.62) educational status. Medium educational level remained associated with lower rates of diverticulosis after adjustment for age and sex (aOR 0.85) and further metabolic syndrome, dietary habits, and physical activity (aOR 0.84). In higher education status this phenomenon was only seen by trend.CONCLUSION: Low education correlated with higher colon diverticula risk, while medium education showed lower rates even after adjustments. This trend persisted at higher education levels, highlighting the potential for strategies for cost-reduction tailored to socioeconomic conditions.
U2 - 10.1159/000538308
DO - 10.1159/000538308
M3 - Original Article
C2 - 38471466
SN - 1011-7571
JO - MEDICAL PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE
JF - MEDICAL PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE
ER -