Gastrointestinal complaint prevalance and association with celiac disease in children between 12-17 ages in Manisa

Celiac disease is an inherited and autoimmune enteropathy which is developed as a result of the exposure to food- related gluten. It has been demonstrated in several studies that in response to each patient diagnosed as Celiac disease, 7-8 patients remain undiagnosed. 477 children and teenager within the age range of 12-17 were involved in our study. Surveys which include sociodemographic features, gastrointestinal symptoms related to celiac, diet and life quality measurements, were performed to the pateints. Heights and weights of patients were measured. The mouth examination were performed for detection of aphtha and spotting on the tooth. No celiac patient was found in our study. It is suggested that the more sensitive diagnostic tests should be performed in more extensive population for detecting the asymptomatic celiac patients.In our study, complaints that can be observed in Celiac disease were questioned and abdominalgia was found as the most common complaint of the patients. It was determined that in female patients, in the ones having pica background and with the complaints of gas and abdominal lump, abdominalgia was the more common complaint. According to nutrition index that we formed, %43.8 of children (n:209) were inadequately nourished. The risk of inadequate nourishment were high in 12-14 age group, in males, in the ones whose mother is housewife and whose sense of health is not good enough. Due to the reason that inadequate nourishment is relatively high in school- age children, educations for healthy diet and its importance should be increased. It has been demonstrated that celiac disease is more likely to be observed in the ones whose life quality is low, having bad socioeconomic level, in unhealthy diet, having delay in entering puberty and having unsuccessful school life. It is suggested that the counseling service should take care of these children having risk of Celiac disease.