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South-East Queensland Population Study
How common is Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Australia?
Research from other developed countries around the world has shown that IBD (including Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis and Indeterminate Colitis) is becoming much more common. Some population-based studies have reported an almost doubling of new Crohn's Disease cases over the last 20 years.
The recent increase of IBD in patients less than 19 years of age and in migrant communities, along with a reduction in the frequency of IBD seen in the relatives of IBD patients, strongly suggest that environmental factors are likely to be very important in determining the cause of these diseases.
Whether this also applies to Australia however is unknown. With no population-based data available and only specialist-based figures to go on, Australia is considered to be a country with a relatively low number of people with IBD. This has important implications for the future provision of services and allocation of funding for research for these chronic, debilitating illnesses.
Accurate information on the prevalence and incidence of IBD also gives us important clues into the potential causes of these conditions. That is why it is so important that we obtain data on how common IBD is in the Australian population.
The Brisbane Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Group based at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital has received funding to investigate this important issue and has received all the necessary ethics approvals. Their aim is to try and detect all cases of IBD in the greater Brisbane area. This includes both new cases of IBD as well as those people who have been diagnosed with IBD in the past and may have been in remission (sometimes for a number of years without a flare up).
Those people with IBD in remission are often missed when trying to calculate the number of people with IBD in a population, resulting in an underestimation of the burden of IBD, which then affects funding opportunities.
This study needs to include new cases of IBD and people with IBD in remission (including those diagnosed with UC but have since had 'curative' surgery)
The research group would really like to hear from people who live in the greater Brisbane area who have been newly diagnosed with IBD and those people whose IBD is in remission - including those with UC who have since had 'curative' surgery. If you know anyone with IBD, the research group would be very grateful if you could pass on this information and contact details.
Note: The 'greater Brisbane area' includes north to the bay area and Caboolture, bounded on the west by the outermost suburbs of Brisbane and down to the boundary with Ipswich and including the Logan and Redlands districts with the following postcodes: 4000-4078, 4101-4184, 4205, 4207, 4208 ,4280, 4300-4305, 4500-4516, 4520, 4521.
To find out more about this study, download the Information Sheet and Registration of Interest Form (PDF - 128Kb), then complete and send the form by email, fax or post.
For further information about the study contact the IBD research group on |
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