SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Children and Health
This article is part of the Research TopicChildren in Global Health: Promoting Health Equity from the Perspective of Media, Culture and CommunicationView all 10 articles
Disease experiences and perspectives of adolescent patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A meta-synthesis of qualitative research
Provisionally accepted
- 1Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- 2Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Taiyuan, China
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Purpose: The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in adolescents worldwide is increasing year by year. In order to better manage the disease, it is necessary to listen to the real voice of patients. Therefore, this study aims to explore the real experience of adolescents with IBD and propose targeted intervention strategies based on the bio-psycho-social model. Design: Qualitative meta-synthesis. Methods: A systematic search was conducted across ten electronic databases— PubMed, Embase (Ovid), Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Scopus, PsycINFO, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP—from their inception until October 2024. A total of 18 qualitative studies were included following a rigorous application of predefined inclusion criteria. Two independent reviewers performed study selection and data extraction, with discrepancies resolved through consensus with a third reviewer. Thematic synthesis was employed to integrate qualitative findings across the included studies in a systematic and iterative manner. - 2 - Findings: The synthesized findings revealed three overarching themes and seven subthemes: (1) Challenges of self-remodeling and growth in adolescent patients with IBD under the influence of the condition; (2) The roles and function of family and healthcare systems in adolescent disease management; and (3) The complex interplay between social environmental factors and illness adaptation in adolescents with IBD. Conclusion: Adolescents with IBD encounter multifaceted experiences across individual, familial, healthcare, and social domains. Developing and implementing culturally sensitive, integrated management strategies aligned with the biopsychosocial model is essential to support these adolescents during their transition to adulthood and promote holistic development.
Keywords: Adolescent, inflammatory bowel disease, experience, meta-synthesis, qualitative study, Systematic review
Received: 01 Sep 2025; Accepted: 28 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Guo, Xu, Feng, Li and Cui. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Liping Cui
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.