Mapping of inflammatory bowel disease in northern France: Spatial variations and relation to affluence

Abstract

The incidence of IBD is associated with spatial heterogeneity in northern France. The noteworthy predominance of CD in agricultural areas warrants further investigations.

Fine-scale geographic variations of inflammatory bowel disease in France: Correlation with socioeconomic and house equipment variables

“…The borders of this area with very high incidence are very similar to those found by the EPIMAD registry. 19 The present study also shows that CD incidence is higher in urban than in rural areas. This is in accordance with most epidemiologic studies.…”

“…The increased incidence observed within the rural Somme could be due to chemical fertilizer used in this region of intensive grain culture, differences in water supply, genetic factors, or migration of urban populations to rural zones. 19 Whatever the explanation, the increased incidence of CD in the rural Somme seems to be specific to this particular area and does not contradict the usual higher incidence of CD within urban areas. Allergy and asthma are also more frequent in urban areas.…”

“…9,[20][21][22][23][24] On the other hand, the EPIMAD registry found that in northern France the CD incidence is higher in rural and periurban areas. 19 However, in the EPIMAD study the highest (Somme) but also the lowest (Seine-Maritime) incidences of CD were rural and periurban. The increased incidence observed within the rural Somme could be due to chemical fertilizer used in this region of intensive grain culture, differences in water supply, genetic factors, or migration of urban populations to rural zones.…”

Epidemiology of inflammatory bowel diseases: New insights from a French population-based registry (EPIMAD)

“…Ces modifications sont apparues autant dans le temps que dans l'espace et l'hétérogénéité spatiale de leur incidence est un des principaux arguments pour une cause environnementale à l'origine de ces pathologies (1,2). Plusieurs études ont été menées sur les modifications récentes temporelles ou spatiales de l'incidence des MICI (3)(4)(5)(6)(7). Les taux les plus élevés sont traditionnellement rapportés en Europe du Nord et de l'Ouest et en Amérique du Nord alors qu'en Afrique, en Amérique du Sud et en Asie (incluant la Chine) (8) l'incidence des MICI a longtemps été notée comme faible.…”

Lessons from geographic mapping of IBD in France

“…and Declercq et al 2 are interesting examples of the cutting edge spatial/epidemiological techniques now available to researchers to explore the population distribution and the causes of complex diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). These techniques include geographic mapping of disease patterns and spatial regression models which relate disease incidence to potential causes at the ecological level.…”