Does living in crowded houses offer protection against the development of inflammatory bowel disease?

INTRODUCTION The credibility of the "Hygiene hypothesis" in patients with inflammatory bowel disease has been assessed. OBJECTIVE This survey is aimed at finding an answer for the question: "Does living in crowded or overcrowded houses protect against the development of inflammatory bowel disease?" PATIENTS AND METHODS Asian immigrants to the United Kingdom who attended inflammatory bowel diseases' clinics during the period of the study and who fulfilled Leonard-Jones criteria were asked to complete a questionnaire. The participants were asked to respond to questions on age, sex, their birth rank, diagnosis, & number of brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. RESULTS 60% of the participants had four or more brothers and sisters. Forty per cent of the participants grew in crowded houses (occupied the fourth birth rank). CONCLUSIONS Our presented data do not support any role of the number of house inhabitants in the development of inflammatory bowel disease.