Abstract
Background:
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of inflammatory conditions of the colon and small intestine. The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has increased in several regions of the world including Saudi Arabia. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence of various risk factors for IBD among medical students and interns in Saudi Arabia.
Methodology:
A cross-sectional study was carried out involving data collection using a self-administered IBD questionnaire during the period from 1st May 2018 to 1st July 2018 across various regions of Saudi Arabia. The association of risk factors for IBD including abdomen pain with altered bowel habits, stress, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) intake and family history were assessed among the study cohort. A total of 856 participants (medical students and interns) from different cities of Saudi Arabia took part in the study. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program (SPSS) version 21.0 was used for statistical analysis. Comparisons of categorical variables between the subgroups (cross-tabulation) were done using Chi-square test. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.
Results:
The statistical analysis revealed that the most significant risk factors for IBD development were stress (94.2%), a high-protein food intake (79.1%), and foods high in sugar content (75.1%), spicy food (72.8%) and use of NSAIDs (42.2%). The female participants were found to have higher risk factors compared to male study subjects. The family history of IBD was found to be an independent risk factor for both the genders. BMI and high altitude showed no significant correlation (p= 0.402, 0.111 respectively).

Conclusion:
The present study findings highlight that use of NSAIDs, excessive intake of junk food and avoidance of stress must be addressed to circumvent the increasing trend of IBD among the studied population.

Background:
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of inflammatory conditions of the colon and small intestine. The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has increased in several regions of the world including Saudi Arabia. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence of various risk factors for IBD among medical students and interns in Saudi Arabia.
Methodology:
A cross-sectional study was carried out involving data collection using a self-administered IBD questionnaire during the period from 1st May 2018 to 1st July 2018 across various regions of Saudi Arabia. The association of risk factors for IBD including abdomen pain with altered bowel habits, stress, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) intake and family history were assessed among the study cohort. A total of 856 participants (medical students and interns) from different cities of Saudi Arabia took part in the study. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program (SPSS) version 21.0 was used for statistical analysis. Comparisons of categorical variables between the subgroups (cross-tabulation) were done using Chi-square test. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.
Results:
The statistical analysis revealed that the most significant risk factors for IBD development were stress (94.2%), a high-protein food intake (79.1%), and foods high in sugar content (75.1%), spicy food (72.8%) and use of NSAIDs (42.2%). The female participants were found to have higher risk factors compared to male study subjects. The family history of IBD was found to be an independent risk factor for both the genders. BMI and high altitude showed no significant correlation (p= 0.402, 0.111 respectively).

Conclusion:
The present study findings highlight that use of NSAIDs, excessive intake of junk food and avoidance of stress must be addressed to circumvent the increasing trend of IBD among the studied population.

Key words: Risk of IBD among medical students in KSA