Gastroenterology. 2020 Oct 21;S0016-5085(20)35312-9.doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.08.064. Online ahead of print.

Edward L Barnes ¹, Edward V Loftus Jr ², Michael D Kappelman ³

Author information

• ¹Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Multidisciplinary Center for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC. Electronic address: edward_barnes@med.unc.edu.
• ²Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
• ³Multidisciplinary Center for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.

Abstract

Although Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) have been considered as disorders that affect individuals of European ancestry, the epidemiology of the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) is changing. Coupled with the increasing incidence of IBD in previously low-incidence areas, the population demographics of IBD in the United States are also changing, with increases among non-white races and ethnicities. It is therefore important to fully understand the epidemiology and progression of IBD in different racial and ethnic groups, and the effects of race and ethnicity on access to care, utilization of resources, and disease-related outcomes. We review differences in IBD development and progression among patients of different races and ethnicities, discussing the effects of factors such as access to care, delays in diagnosis, and health and disease perception on disparities in IBD care and outcomes. We identify research priorities for improving health equity among minority patients with IBD.