A New Tool in the Development of Celiac Disease: Sense of Coherence Score

Introduction: Sense of Coherence (SOC) is a theoretical construct that was developed to explain why some people become ill and others do not, regardless of stressful events. Low SOC was reported to correlate with the development of several multifactorial, chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and systemic lupus erythematosus. Aims: To compare the SOC scores of patients diagnosed with celiac disease (CD) and matched healthy controls to investigate possible correlations between low SOC scores and CD. Patients and Methods: Patients provided demographic data and completed the 13-item SOC questionnaire. Patients in the study cohort were matched to healthy controls according to age, gender, education, income, employment status and marital status. Results: A total of 239 CD patients and 124 healthy controls answered the SOC questionnaire. Among them,124 patients were matched to the healthy cohort according to propensity score. CD patients had a median SOC score of 57 (IQR 52.25-62), and controls 65.5 (IQR 57-75) p<0.001. Conclusions: SOC reflects a person's resources and orientation which enable individuals to cope with stressors in a way that promotes health. Lower SOC score is correlated with the development of CD.