Table 1 Characteristics of the survey study population consisting of 176 CD and 162 UC participants

Subjects, n (%)

176 (52.1)

162 (47.9)

127 (72.2)

31 (17.6)

18 (10.2)

110 (67.9)

36 (22.2)

16 (9.9)

Gender, n (%)

 Female

124 (70.5)

101 (62.3)

89 (70.1)

19 (61.3)

16 (88.9)

65 (59.1)

26 (72.2)

10 (62.5)

Age (years)

47.6 ± 15.6

50.0 ± 14.5

47.8 ± 15.7

47.2 ± 16.6

46.7 ± 13.9

49.8 ± 14.0

52.5 ± 15.4

45.4 ± 15.5

Age at diagnosis (years)

32.3 ± 14.6*

35.4 ± 14.1*

32.6 ± 15.1

30.9 ± 14.8

32.6 ± 9.4

34.3 ± 13.3

39.7 ± 15.5

33.4 ± 15.5

BMI (kg/m²)

24.9 ± 4.7

24.9 ± 3.8

25.0 ± 4.4

24.6 ± 4.8

25.0 ± 6.6

24.6 ± 3.5

25.4 ± 3.9

25.6 ± 5.6

Smoking, n (%)

 Never

127 (72.2)

125 (77.2)

99 (78.0)^a

19 (61.3)^a,b

9 (50.0)^b

83 (75.5)

28 (77.8)

14 (87.5)

 Current

18 (10.2)

6 (3.7)

10 (7.9)

6 (19.4)

2 (11.1)

4 (3.6)

1 (2.8)

1 (6.3)

 Former

31 (17.6)

31 (19.1)

18 (14.2)^a

6 (19.4)^a,b

7 (38.9)^b

23 (20.9)

7 (19.4)

1 (6.3)

Education level^#, n (%)

 Low

40 (22.7)

32 (19.8)

27 (21.3)

8 (25.8)

5 (27.8)

21 (19.1)

8 (22.2)

3 (18.8)

 Middle

53 (30.1)

50 (30.9)

38 (29.9)

6 (19.4)

9 (50.0)

35 (31.8)

8 (22.2)

7 (43.8)

 High

83 (47.2)

80 (49.4)

62 (48.8)

17 (54.8)

4 (22.2)

54 (49.1)

20 (55.6)

6 (37.5)

Medication use, n (%)

 Mesalazines

29 (16.5)**

102 (63.0)**

22 (17.3)

4 (12.9)

3 (16.7)

69 (62.7)

20 (55.6)

13 (81.3)

 Corticosteroids

24 (13.6)

23 (14.2)

14 (11.0)

7 (22.6)

3 (16.7)

10 (9.1)^a

9 (25.0)^b

4 (25.0)^a,b

 Immunosuppressants

76 (43.2)**

33 (20.4)**

55 (43.3)

14 (45.2)

7 (38.9)

20 (18.2)

8 (22.2)

5 (31.3)

 Biologicals

57 (32.4)**

28 (17.3)**

35 (27.6)^a

12 (38.7)^a,b

10 (55.6)^b

11 (10.0)^a

9 (25.0)^a,b

8 (50.0)^b

 Other

24 (13.6)

12 (7.4)

14 (11.0)

6 (19.4)

4 (22.2)

5 (4.5)^a

3 (8.3)^a,b

4 (25.0)^b

 No medication use

36 (20.5)

29 (17.9)

30 (23.6)

5 (16.1)

1 (5.6)

23 (20.9)

6 (16.7)

0 (0.0)

Flare-ups in past year, n (%)

 None

91 (51.7)*

63 (38.9)*

79 (62.2)^a

7 (22.6)^b

5 (27.8)^b

51 (46.4)^a

10 (27.8)^a,b

2 (12.5)^b

 1–2 flare-ups

59 (33.5)

68 (42.0)

38 (29.9)

15 (48.4)

6 (33.3)

42 (38.2)

21 (58.3)

5 (31.3)

 3–4 flare-ups

9 (5.1)*

18 (11.1)*

2 (1.6)^a

5 (16.1)^b

2 (11.1)^a,b

9 (8.2)^a

3 (8.3)^a

6 (37.5)^b

 More than 4 flare-ups

17 (9.7)

13 (8.0)

8 (6.3)^a

4 (12.9)^a,b

5 (27.8)^b

8 (7.3)

2 (5.6)

3 (18.8)

 Surgery, n (%)

60 (34.1)**

13 (8.0)**

41 (32.3)

10 (32.3)

9 (50.0)

6 (5.5)

6 (16.7)

1 (6.3)