Impact of Celiac Disease on Dating

Abstract

Background/Aims: When seeking a romantic partner, individuals with celiac disease (CD) must navigate challenging social situations. We aimed to investigate dating-related behaviors in adults with CD. Methods: A total of 11,884 affiliates of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University were invited to participate in an online survey. Adults (≥ 18 years) with biopsy-diagnosed CD were included. Among the 5,249 who opened the email, 538 fully completed the survey (10.2%). The survey included a CD-specific dating attitudes/behaviors questionnaire, a Social Anxiety Questionnaire (SAQ), a CD-specific quality of life instrument (CD-QOL), and a CD Food Attitudes and Behaviors scale (CD-FAB). Results: Respondents were primarily female (86.8%) and the plurality (24.4%) was in the 23–35 year age range. 44.3% had dated with CD, and among them, 68.4% reported that CD had a major/moderate impact on their dating life. A major/moderate impact was more commonly reported among females (69.3%, p < 0.001), 23–35-year-olds (77.7%, p = 0.015), those with a household income