Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>Background: Epidemiological data on colonic diverticulosis remain scarce from the Gulf region. Qatar’s multiethnic population provides a unique opportunity to examine diverticulosis prevalence and patterns. We aimed to determine the prevalence, temporal trends, demographic and endoscopic characteristics of colonoscopy-confirmed diverticulosis over a 10-year period at Qatar’s principal tertiary endoscopy centre. Methods: This retrospective study included all patients aged ≥ 14 years who underwent colonoscopy at Ambulatory Care Centre, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hamad Medical Corporation between January 2015 and December 2024. Each patient was represented by their index colonoscopy. Records were classified as diverticulosis-positive, non-diverticulosis, or unclassified. A stratified random audit of 200 unclassified records was performed to assess documentation-related misclassification. Temporal trends were evaluated using correlation, Mann–Kendall testing, and joinpoint regression. Multivariable logistic regression identified independent predictors of diverticulosis. Results: Among 36,735 unique patients (47,249 procedures), diverticulosis was confirmed in 3,611 patients, yielding a primary prevalence of 9.83% (95% CI 9.53–10.14%), increasing to 11.43% after audit adjustment and 15.02% among screening colonoscopies. Prevalence increased from 9.0% in 2015 to 11.7% in 2024 (p = 0.004), with a sustained upward trend from 2019 onward. Age ≥ 50 years was the strongest independent predictor (aOR 4.23; 95% CI 3.86–4.63; p < 0.001). Non-Qatari patients had significantly higher rates of right-sided diverticulosis than Qatari patients. Conclusions: Approximately one in nine patients undergoing colonoscopy in Qatar had diverticulosis, with prevalence increasing over time. Distinct right- and left-sided disease patterns across nationality groups highlight the importance of complete colonoscopic evaluation in ethnically diverse populations. Clinical Trial Registration Clinical trial number not applicable.</p>