Ethnicity and familial factors in the etiology of acute appendicitis

The role of various socioeconomic, ethnic, and family factors in the development of acute appendicitis (AA) was studied in two generational groups totaling 2,331 individuals. Univariate analyses revealed that ethnicity, residence, family history, and education are associated with AA. However, only two, ethnicity and education, were retained following multiple forward, stepwise logistic regression. Caucasians, in contrast to Mongoloids and Uzbeks and those with high education showed significantly higher probabilities of undergoing an appendectomy. Odds ratios comparing Caucasians to Uzbeks and low education to high education were 1.6 and 0.7, respectively. Results confirm an association of higher AA frequency with higher socioeconomic status but do not explain the ethnic differences in the incidence of AA. Examination of aggregation of AA in 782 families indicates a familial factor in predisposition. Although this analysis suggests that genetic factors contribute significantly to the development of AA, only segregation analysis will allow more definitive conclusions. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.