The Prevalence of the Celiac Disease Among Urban Bedouin Population in Israel
Abstract
Methods: The research is retrospective and descriptive. The objective of our research was to determine the prevalence of the CD within adult and child Bedouin populations in urban Israel. A report of all of diagnosed CD patients extracted from the medical computerized information system (Clicks).
Results: In our sample we found the prevalence was 0.51% in children and 0.12% in adults.
Conclusion: In our opinion, one of reasons for the low prevalence level in the Bedouin community might be that typical CD symptoms are less prominent in Bedouin communities than in other communities. But no doubt hypo-diagnosis does exist. We suppose more advanced research about the nature and typical clinical manifestations of CD within the Bedouin population need to be investigated. Medical personnel working within the Bedouin community needs information concerning CD and the characteristics of diagnosis and treatment in the Bedouin community. The Bedouin community itself needs more information concerning CD and the importance of treatment, which could also improve early diagnosis and compliance.
Gastroenterol Res. 2012;5(4):156-161
doi: https://doi.org/10.4021/gr464e