Background & aims: The epidemiology of pediatric eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is poorly characterized. In this study, we aimed to determine demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic characteristics of our cohort of EE children.
Methods: A case-control design was used to compare 335 EE subjects with control subjects from gastroenterology (GI) and allergy clinics as well as 2000 U.S. census data.
Results: EE subjects were significantly different than the greater Philadelphia population as well as control subjects from our gastroenterology and allergy clinics. EE subjects were 83.6% Caucasian, compared with 70.9% of GI control subjects (odds ratio [OR], 2.17; P < .001; confidence interval [CI], 1.52-3.11), 64.9% of allergy control subjects (OR, 2.83; P < .001; CI, 1.99-4.04), and 73.0% of the greater Philadelphia population. EE subjects were 75.8% male, compared with 48.0% of GI control subjects (OR, 3.39; P < .001; CI, 2.47-4.65), 60.4% of allergy control subjects (OR, 1.62; P < .001; CI, 1.19-2.19), and 48.0% of the greater Philadelphia population. We initially demonstrated that EE subjects are more affluent, more educated, and reside more often in suburban areas. However, Caucasian race was a significant confounding variable and accounted for socioeconomic or geographic differences among EE subjects and our control populations with one exception. A significant difference remained between suburban and urban residence in EE and allergy control populations.
Conclusions: EE subjects are significantly different than control groups in their demographic characteristics of Caucasian race and male sex. EE subject socioeconomic and geographic characteristics are not different than our typical referral patterns to GI clinic when adjusted for race as a confounding factor.