Appendicitis epidemiology and demographics

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Farwa Haideri [2]

Appendicitis is one of the most prominent causes of acute abdominal pain. It is a common disease in both Europe and America, and each year, approximately 100 people per 100,000 exhibit developing cases of appendicitis. Younger people, in the age group of 10-19, have a higher chance of developing appendicitis. Males are more likely than females to develop appendicitis. Caucasians are more likely to develop appendicitis than non-Caucasians.

• One out of every 15 people (7%) will develop acute appendicitis in their lifetime.^[1]

• In Europe and America, the incidence of appendicitis is about 100 per 100,000 patients per year.^[2]
• The peak incidence occurs between the second and third decades of life.^[1]
• Appendicitis is one of the most frequent diagnoses for emergency department visits resulting in hospitalization among children aged 5–17 years in the United States.^[3]

• In the United States, the highest incidence of appendicitis is found in the age group of 10-19 years old.^[4]
• Appendicitis is more uncommon in age extremities (less than 5 years and greater than 50 years of age).^[1]

• Males present with symptoms of appendicitis 1.4 times as much compared to women across all age groups.^[5]

• Appendicitis rates are 1.5 times higher in Caucasians than in other ethnicities.^[1]

• Appendicitis is more common in industrialized countries in Europe and America where diets are more consistent with highly refined foods that are low in dietary fibers.^[1]

• In developing countries, the chances of appendicitis are lower because of the typical agrarian diet that is composed of more high-fiber foods as opposed to refined food.^[1]

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