Race, Ethnicity, and IBD

How cultures impact IBD, and what providers and families should consider for optimal care

Culture

Patients' culture can impact:
- Whether they feel comfortable/supported talking about their IBD with their families
- How their parents and family members think and feel about IBD
- How the patient and family may feel about biologic and surgical treatment
Why is culture important to consider? Culture can influence how patients and families think about and treat IBD, and this can leads to biologic failure or delayed diagnosis for some patients
IBD is a progressive disease! If cultural practices influence patients/families to seek alternative medicine, the disease may have progressed too far by the time the patient is transitioned to biologics
- Alternative medicine can be immune-boosters and can make IBD worse, and it is not standardized treatment
- It is important to understand how patients' cultures may influence mindsets, stigmas, and treatment for patients

Lack of cultural awareness can mean providers aren't meeting their patients' needs

WHAT SHOULD PROVIDERS CONSIDER ABOUT IBD AND RACE/ETHNICITY?

Religion/faith: Some patients may have different diets due to religious beliefs/holidays (Kosher, Yom Kippur, Halal, Ramadan). Providers should know and respect patients' religious practices and work with the patient to ensure optimal outcomes
Diets: Due to religion and culture, patients and families eat very differently. When discussing and recommending diets, consider what foods the patient normally eats instead of focusing on Eurocentric diets
Beliefs: Different cultures may have different beliefs about IBD, diets, and treatments. How does the patient and family's beliefs influence what treatment they are comfortable with? How does it impact their beliefs on IBD and diets?

WHAT SHOULD PROVIDERS DO TO BE CULTURALLY AWARE?

Understanding race, ethnicity, and IBD needs to be an ongoing process for health care professionals
In addition to educating themselves on race, ethnicity, religious, and cultural practices, providers should communicate openly and respectfully about these topics with their patients and families