Prevalence of celiac disease and its related factors in children aged 2–6 years old: A case–control study

Abstract

Background: Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-genetic disorder associated with the small intestine. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of CD and its related factors in children aged 2–6 years in southeastern Iran. Methods: In the present case–control research, the study groups were selected by convenience sampling method in Zahedan city, Sistan-and-Baluchestan province, southeastern Iran, from January 2021 till January 2022. Social-demographic status and personal information about the child, family, as well as the feeding pattern of children and mothers in the first six months of breastfeeding were examined. Frequency Food Questionnaire (FFQ) was also used for data collection. Results: The prevalence of CD was estimated at 9.2 per 10,000. Our findings showed that child age, birth weight, location of living, child birth type, child digestive disease, and child FFQ score played a significant role in the development of CD (p < 0.05). Children with CD consumed less bread and cereals, meat, eggs and legumes, dairy products, and fruits and vegetables (p = 0.004). In the first six months of breastfeeding, the mean intake of mothers with celiac children and mothers with healthy children was almost the same (p = 0.75). Conclusion: Nutrition in the first six months of lactation, gastrointestinal diseases, birth weight, and type of delivery played a significant role in causing CD in children aged 2–6 years, but mothers’ diets in the first six months of lactation had no significant effect on CD incidence in their infants.