Risk factors associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: A study from Eastern India

Introduction: There are limited studies which suggest that environmental risk factors or early life exposures, like low birth weight, lack of breast feeding, passive smoking, recurrent childhood infections may have a role in the aetio-pathogenesis of paediatric autoimmune diseases like juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Objectives: To study the association of environmental and early risk factors with the development of JIA in a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India.

Method: This case control study was conducted in the Paediatric Rheumatology Clinic of Vivekananda Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS), India, over a period of 1 year. Enrolled JIA cases, who consented to be a part of the study, were asked to identify at least 2 to 3 healthy playmates of similar age and sex as controls. A 2-page structured oral questionnaire pertaining to environmental and early life risk factors was prepared and patients/controls or their caregivers were asked to answer these.

Results: Birth weight, gestational age, mode of delivery, breast feeding, passive smoking and infections in infancy were not significantly associated with the development of JIA. There was a significant association with sun exposure (p <0.05), non-vegetarian diet (p <0.05) and use of mosquito repellent (p<0.05)

Conclusions: Among the various risk factors assessed we found that in our study there was a significant association of sun exposure (p <0.05), non-vegetarian diet (p<0.05) and use of mosquito repellents (p <0.05) with the development of JIA.

Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health, 2022; 51(4): 535-541