Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Growing Threat Not only in Urban But also in Rural Areas

Globalization has greatly reduced the Urban-Rural Divide, interconnecting people and services at doorstep. However, in recent years, change in lifestyle and dietary habits has markedly raised the prevalence of Inflammatory Bowel disease not only in urban but also in rural regions. Among young adults and adolescents in the Indian population, the rise in urbanization is contributing to a notable increase in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) cases, revealed study published in Lancet (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in rural and urban India

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Increasing Incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in India

IBD is a chronic illness characteristic by symptoms varying from bloody diarrhea, weight loss, fever, fatigue, abdominal pain to anemia, joint pain, skin problems among others."It is estimated that more than 15 lakh people in India are suffering from IBD but the true picture is not clear as we don’t have a large scale, population-based epidemiological study to understand the exact incidence rate," said Dr. D Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman, AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, in a statement. "With the advent of globalization, IBD made its entry into the developing world and today we are in the similar situation where the west was two decades back. Further, the study showed that the disease is as prevalent in rural areas as in urban areas. In their study, the team of doctors in 2020 started a three year rural outreach programme 2.0, covering 150 villages across Telangana.

In their initial survey in 2006, IBD in rural areas was just 0.1 percent. But now it "stands at 5.1 percent, which is alarming", Dr. Reddy said. The incidence of IBD in India has been on an exponential increase over the past couple of decades, but it was mainly considered an urban disease like in the western countries. However, "the study proves that IBD is no longer an urban disease rather it is slowly cementing its place in the rural household as well", Dr. Reddy added. He explained that a multitude of factors are behind the rise.

Changing Diets and Lifestyles in Rural India

"We can now easily find processed food items in villages. The adoption of western lifestyle too has contributed to a trivial western toilet seat replacing the conventional Indian-style seats which were more favorable to our human anatomy," Dr. Reddy said. In addition, "C-section deliveries coupled with lack of breastfeeding for the first six-months after childbirth devoid the child of the essential gut microflora. Excessive use of antibiotics during the neonatal stage also kills the gut bacteria."

"All these factors in culmination are responsible for not just increased incidence of IBD but we are seeing the same for other lifestyle diseases like diabetes, fatty liver, cardiovascular diseases as well," he said. To curb the rising cases, Dr. Reddy has asked the government to increase awareness about lifestyle diseases in rural areas in regional languages and at PHC levels, bring regulation on ultra processed food; focus on diet and exercise for the rural population too, and constantly monitor the rural population.

Reference:

1. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in rural and urban India - (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lansea/article/PIIS2772-3682(23)00119-1/fulltext)

Source-IANS