Identifying Risk Factors of Patients with Ulcerative Colitis

• Published in: Kufa Journal for Nursing Sciences Vol. 14; no. 1
• Main Authors: Al karaawi, Ramlah M. M., Kadhim, Jihad Jawad
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 16-06-2024
• ISSN: 2223-4055; 2521-8638
• DOI: 10.36321/kjns.vi202401.15949

Background׃ Ulcerative colitis a lifelong inflammatory illness is marked by persistent inflammation of the mucosal surface that begins in the rectum and spreads toward the influence of a portion or the entire colon, the disease has different periods from severity or exacerbation to remission. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore risk factors of patients with Ulcerative Colitis. Methodology:  A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a purposive sample of 105 patients diagnosed with ulcerative colitis attending to specialized hospital for gastroenterology and hepatology at AL-Najaf City. Study extend period from September 1,2023 to June 1, 2024. This study used self-administrated questionnaires adopted from the previous studies consist of two-part demographic and clinical forms items. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0 Results׃ The findings of the current study involved that the highest percentage of the patients are those at young ages, female patients, graduated from college, married, live in urban, unemployed, and financially secured. According to the participants’ clinical data, the results showed that the highest percentage of the patients are those with some factors that may have direct influence on disease prognosis. For example, duration of the disease, family history of ulcerative colitis, chronic disease, with sleeping patterns as well as medication adherence and others. Conclusion  and Recommendation׃ Ulcerative colitis (UC) disease commonly found in individuals within the age group (18 – 36) years old. The study recommended that  nurses need to be more aware in performing nursing care for patients within age group (18 - 36) years old in terms of assessing clinical features of ulcerative colitis. Nurses who recognize the risk factors of ulcerative colitis may intervene and manage patient’s condition effectively. More researches are needed to address specific risk factors and find solution to avoid it if possible.