Prevalence of Eosinophilic Esophagitis Among Ethnic Groups in a Private Vs a Safety Net-Hospital in Southern California.

Background and Aims: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is rapidly increasing in incidence and prevalence. It is more prevalent among Whites as compared to Hispanics. The reasons for this disparity remain unclear. We aimed to compare EoE Prevalence between a private facility and a safety-net hospital, the latter treating a larger proportion of foreign-born Spanish-speaking patients, and to examine differences in prevalence among Hispanics across both facilities. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study of adult patients who underwent upper endoscopy for dysphagia, food impaction, or EoE at 2 medical centers. The primary outcome was a diagnosis of EoE, based on clinical, endoscopic, and pathologic criteria. Logistic regression was employed to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for EoE. Results: Of 1005 patients, a higher proportion of Hispanic (73.3% versus 19.7%) and Spanish-speaking patients (64.8% versus 7.6%) received care at the safety-net hospital. Overall, 70 (7.0%) patients were diagnosed with EoE, with a higher prevalence at the private versus safety-net hospital (10.5% versus 1.9%; Conclusion: The prevalence of EoE was significantly higher among Whites than Hispanics. Among Hispanics, the prevalence of EoE was not influenced by hospital setting or primary language. These results suggest that intrinsic factors, including possible genetic influences, may contribute to the disparity in EoE prevalence between the 2 groups.