title: Ethnic variations in five lower gastrointestinal diseases: Scottish health and ethnicity linkage study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our objective was to augment the limited evidence mainly from local, clinical studies of ethnic differences in gastrointestinal disorders. Our question was: are there ethnic variations in hospitalisation/death for lower gastrointestinal disorders in Scotland?
  
  
  METHODS
  Scotland.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective-cohort linked 4.65 (of 4.9) million people in the 2001 census of Scotland (providing data on ethnicity, country of birth and indicators of socioeconomic deprivation) to 9 years of National Health Service hospitalisation and death records.
  For appendicitis, we studied all ages; for irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and diverticular disease, we included those ≥20 years. Using Poisson regression (robust variance) we calculated, by ethnic group and sex, first-hospitalisation/death age-adjusted rates per 100,000 person-years, and relative risks (RRs) with 95% CIs multiplied by 100, so the White Scottish reference population had an RR=100.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were ethnic variations; for example, for irritable bowel syndrome, RRs (95% CIs) were comparatively high in Other White British women (128.4 (111.0 to 148.6)), and low in Pakistani women (75.1 (60.6 to 93.1)). For appendicitis, RRs were high in men in Other White British (145.2 (127.8 to 164.9)), and low in most non-White groups, for example, Pakistanis (73.8 (56.9 to 95.6)). For ulcerative colitis, RRs were high in Indian (169.8 (109.7 to 262.7)) and Pakistani (160.8 (104.2 to 248.2)) men. For Crohn's disease, the RR was high in Pakistani men (209.2 (149.6 to 292.6)). For diverticular disease, RRs were high in Irish men (176.0 (156.9 to 197.5)), and any Mixed background women (144.6 (107.4 to 194.8)), and low in most non-White groups, for example, Chinese men (47.1 (31.0 to 71.6) and women (46.0 (30.4 to 69.8)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Appendicitis and diverticular disease were comparatively low in most non-White groups, while ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease were mostly higher in South Asians. Describing and understanding such patterns may help clinical practice and research internationally.
authors.affiliation: Edinburgh Ethnicity and Health Research Group (EEHRG), Centre for Population Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Raj S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Bhopal
authors.affiliation: Edinburgh Ethnicity and Health Research Group (EEHRG), Centre for Population Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Genevieve
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cezard
authors.affiliation: Edinburgh Ethnicity and Health Research Group (EEHRG), Centre for Population Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.|Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Strangeways Research Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Wort's Causeway, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Narinder
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bansal
authors.affiliation: Edinburgh Ethnicity and Health Research Group (EEHRG), Centre for Population Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.|Public Health and Intelligence, NHS National Services Scotland, Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Hester J T
authors.initials: HJT
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology and Liver Units, University of Birmingham, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK.|Department of Gastroenterology, Wellington Regional Hospital, Capital and Coast District Health Board, Newtown, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Neeraj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bhala
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D000368:Aged; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality; D044466:Asian People; D044383:Black People; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality; D004240:Diverticulum / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality; D004739:England / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D007494:Ireland / Q000208:ethnology; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010154:Pakistan / Q000208:ethnology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult