Dietary Habits and their Association with Gallbladder Disorders in East Champaran, Bihar: A Community-based Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Gallstone disease is a common gallbladder disorder, and dietary habits are among the potentially modifiable factors associated with gallbladder health. However, limited community-based evidence is available from East Champaran, Bihar. Objectives: The study aims to assess dietary habits and examine their association with self-reported gallstone diagnosis among adults in East Champaran, Bihar. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among adults aged ≥18 years residing in East Champaran. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics, dietary habits, anthropometric measurements, lifestyle factors, gallstone status, symptoms, and awareness regarding diet and gallbladder health. A total of 423 valid responses were included in the descriptive analysis. For association analyses, 48 participants who were unsure of their gallstone status were excluded, resulting in an analytical sample of 375 participants (91 with and 284 without self-reported gallstone diagnosis). Associations between dietary variables and gallstone diagnosis were assessed using the chi-square test, with  considered statistically significant. Results:  Among the 423 respondents, 91 (21.5%) reported a previous diagnosis of gallstones, while 284 (67.1%) reported no diagnosis and 48 (11.3%) were unsure. Significant associations with gallstone diagnosis were observed for fried-food consumption , fast-food consumption , green leafy vegetable consumption , spinach consumption , tea consumption , and nut consumption . Ghee/butter, red meat, dairy products, carbonated beverages, and chocolate/cocoa were not significantly associated with gallstone diagnosis. Regular calcium supplementation was also significantly associated with gallstone diagnosis . Conclusion:  Several dietary variables were significantly associated with self-reported gallstone diagnosis in this community-based sample. The findings suggest that dietary factors may be food-specific rather than uniformly associated with gallstone disease. Further longitudinal and clinically verified studies are needed to clarify these relationships.