The Association Between Fast Food Consumption and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Case-Control Study and Meta-Analysis
2025
Anas Almofarreh | Haytham A. Sheerah | Ahmed Arafa | Abdulatif M. AlBassam | Mshari A. Alassaf | Faisal M. AlBassam | Faisal B. Alsaif | Khalid M. Alkwai | Faisal A. Alzahrani | Mohammed A. Allift | Shahad AlBassam | Aseel AlBassam | Mohammed Alshehri | Khalid O. Alshammari | Njoud M. Alenezi | Fahad A. Alamri
Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn&rsquo:s disease (CD), are chronic conditions influenced by various factors, including diet. This study examined the association between fast food consumption and IBD risk through a case-control study and a meta-analysis of epidemiological evidence. Methods: We analyzed data from a hospital-based case-control study conducted in Riyadh. The study included 158 UC patients, 244 CD patients, and 395 controls without IBD. Fast food consumption was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire distributed before diagnoses were made. We used logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of UC and CD for individuals who reported daily fast food consumption. Then, we merged our results with those from other studies investigating the same association into a meta-analysis. Results: In the case-control study, daily consumption of fast food was strongly associated with UC and CD among Saudi people: age- and sex-adjusted ORs (95% CIs) = 6.29 (3.89, 10.16) and 5.92 (3.98, 8.80), respectively. The associations remained robust after further adjustments: ORs (95% CIs) = 6.61 (3.93, 11.12) and 5.90 (3.89, 8.94), respectively. Similarly, the meta-analysis revealed higher odds of fast food intake associated with UC and CD, with pooled odds ratios (95% CIs) of 2.41 (1.07, 5.45) and 2.65 (1.23, 5.70), respectively. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the potential role of fast food consumption in the development of IBD. From a preventive medicine perspective, fast food consumption should be discouraged to reduce the risk of IBD.
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