P041 Morbidity Due to IBD and Its Influence on Health-Related Quality of Life and Virtual Social Interaction Through Facebook.

BACKGROUND: The Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) are chronic conditions with a relapsing and remitting clinical course. As IBD symptoms manifest unpredictably over time, the present study aimed to evaluate if and how associated morbidity affected Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and social interaction through Facebook (FB) among patients. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study enrolling 100 IBD outpatients from Botucatu Clinic Hospital (Botucatu group) and 185 patients with IBD who are followed at other institutions in Brazil (Online group). The online group completed the same questionnaires as the Botucatu group but did so through a web link made available on patient groups on FB. Patients were excluded if they did not use FB. Disease activity was measured using the Mayo Score for Ulcerative Colitis (UC), Crohn´s Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and Harvey-Bradshaw Simple Index for Crohn’s Disease (CD) among Botucatu and Online patients respectively. FB use was measured using the questionnaire Psycho-Social Aspects of Facebook Use (PSAFU), which comprises 5 domains: compensatory use, self-presentation, socialization, addiction and virtual identity. The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) was used to measure Health-related Quality of Life. Statistical analysis: association tests, P < 0.05 and Pearson correlations. RESULTS: The Online group had more people with CD (P = 0.006) and its patients had longer duration of IBD in years (9.94 ± 8.98 vs 7.73 ± 6.81). Patients followed in the Botucatu reference center had a greater remission rate (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.09, for UC and CD respectively) while the Online group had had more consultations (P < 0.0001), hospitalizations (P < 0.0001) and surgeries (P = 0.01) per year. The Online group used more biologic medications (P = 0.03). Botucatu patients had better HRQoL in the following IBDQ domains: intestinal (P = 0.0003), systemic (P = 0.002) and emotional (P < 0.0001). They also socialized less (P < 0.0001) on FB and presented with the lowest FB addiction rate (P < 0.0001), fewer anxious (P = 0.007) and depressive (P = 0.05) symptoms and a better body image (P = 0.02) although they had fewer patients treated with psychotherapy (P = 0.0004). Considering the Online group only, patients with longer duration of IBD spent more time? on self-presentation through social media (FB) (P = 0.005). Those with worse systemic IBDQ scores presented with more intense compensatory use of FB (P = 0.03). Worse emotional health was inversely associated with compensatory use of FB (P = 0.02) and addiction (P = 0.03). Among these patients, larger number of surgeries was related to FB addiction (P = 0.04). CD Online patients were younger at the time of diagnosis (P = 0.0003), used more biologic therapy (P < 0.0001) and had had more consultations (P = 0.01), hospitalizations (P < 0.0001) and previous surgeries (P < 0.0001). Their systemic HRQoL was negatively associated with compensatory use of FB (P = 0.0006) and the emotional aspect, with compensatory use (P = 0.008) and FB addiction (P = 0.03), while these correlations were not observed among UC Online patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with longer duration of IBD had worse HRQoL and interacted more through social media as disease related morbidity may affect their ability for in person social interaction. HRQoL was inversely related to compensatory use and FB addiction among patients with longer duration of IBD. These patients also underwent consultations and medical interventions more frequently.