Hyun-Seok Kim1,2, Aynur Unalp-Arida3, Constance E Ruhl4, Rok Seon Choung5, Joseph A Murray5. 1. Department of Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, University Hospital, Newark, NJ. 2. Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. 3. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda. 4. Social & Scientific Systems Inc., Silver Spring, MD. 5. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
Abstract
GOALS: We analyzed demographics, lifestyle patterns, and clinical characteristics of people with celiac disease (CD) and people without CD avoiding gluten (PWAG) to better understand associations with medical conditions and consumer behavior. BACKGROUND: Clinical significance of CD and gluten avoidance in the general population is incompletely understood. Recently, a high incidence of CD in adolescents with susceptibility genotypes, similar to other autoimmune or allergic disorders, and regional differences in consumer practices of gluten avoidance were reported. METHODS: Among 22,277 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2014, we identified persons with CD by testing CD serology or by both a health care provider diagnosis and adherence to a gluten-free diet. Similarly, PWAG were defined as adherent to a gluten-free diet without a CD diagnosis. Consumer behavior and characteristics of both groups, CD and PWAG were compared with those without these conditions, using survey-weighted generalized logistic regression. RESULTS: Participants with CD considered nutrition very important when grocery shopping and tended to have more constipation and thyroid disease. PWAG tended to spend more money on groceries, purchase organic foods, and check food labels more frequently during grocery shopping. They also reported having more food allergies, asthma, and thyroid disease. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms that CD and PWAG share comorbidities of autoimmune nature. PWAG had more autoimmune/allergy-related disorders that may be associated with non-celiac gluten sensitivity a self-justifiable reason to be on the diet.
GOALS: We analyzed demographics, lifestyle patterns, and clinical characteristics of people with celiac disease (CD) and people without CD avoiding gluten (PWAG) to better understand associations with medical conditions and consumer behavior. BACKGROUND: Clinical significance of CD and gluten avoidance in the general population is incompletely understood. Recently, a high incidence of CD in adolescents with susceptibility genotypes, similar to other autoimmune or allergic disorders, and regional differences in consumer practices of gluten avoidance were reported. METHODS: Among 22,277 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2014, we identified persons with CD by testing CD serology or by both a health care provider diagnosis and adherence to a gluten-free diet. Similarly, PWAG were defined as adherent to a gluten-free diet without a CD diagnosis. Consumer behavior and characteristics of both groups, CD and PWAG were compared with those without these conditions, using survey-weighted generalized logistic regression. RESULTS:Participants with CD considered nutrition very important when grocery shopping and tended to have more constipation and thyroid disease. PWAG tended to spend more money on groceries, purchase organic foods, and check food labels more frequently during grocery shopping. They also reported having more food allergies, asthma, and thyroid disease. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms that CD and PWAG share comorbidities of autoimmune nature. PWAG had more autoimmune/allergy-related disorders that may be associated with non-celiac gluten sensitivity a self-justifiable reason to be on the diet.