Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency among Health Care Workers of a Tertiary Care Centre in India.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), are chronic relapsing disorders of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by immune-mediated inflammation of the intestinal wall (). Despite similarities in clinical presentation, these conditions differ substantially in their pathogenesis, localization, and patterns of inflammation (). In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children with IBD. The chronic course of the disease, the need for long-term therapy, and limitations in daily activities have a significant impact on physical, emotional, and social functioning in children (). Several studies have shown that HRQoL in children with IBD may be impaired even in the absence of marked clinical disease activity, highlighting the important role of psychosocial factors (). At the same time, the two major forms of IBD differ in disease course and prognosis. Crohn's disease is generally characterized by a more aggressive and complicated course, including the development of strictures and fistulas, and a higher likelihood of requiring surgical interventions. In contrast, ulcerative colitis is confined to the colon and less frequently necessitates surgery; however, children with Crohn's disease have a substantially higher lifetime risk of operative treatment (, ). These differences may influence children's perceptions of the disease and, consequently, their quality of life. However, previous studies have not demonstrated consistent differences in HRQoL between these disease types (, ). Instead, disease activity rather than disease type has been identified as the main determinant of HRQoL in children IBD, with additional contributions from psychosocial factors, including emotional well-being and family functioning (, ). Quality of life in children with IBD has been widely studied across different regions, including Russia, several European countries (Croatia, Switzerland, Sweden, France, and Greece) (, , –), and Asian populations such as Malaysia (). Overall, these studies highlight the important role of both clinical and psychosocial factors in shaping HRQoL outcomes in children with IBD. Conventional therapy for IBD includes 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) agents (mesalazine), immunomodulators (azathioprine), and glucocorticoids, aimed at inducing and maintaining remission (, ). However, these approaches do not always achieve adequate disease control and may be associated with adverse effects ().