Background : Well-known risk factors for gallbladder polyps include metabolic syndrome, younger age, and dyslipidemia. Jeju Island is approximately 80 km from the Korean peninsula and is divided into two administrative regions (Jeju City and Seogwipo City) with Mount Halla in the center. Jeju City has only an international airport and harbor. There are more businesses and schools in Jeju City than Seogwipo City. Dietary and alcohol consumption differ between the two regions, and these factors may affect the prevalence of gallbladder polyps. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of gallbladder polyps and compared various factors associated with gallbladder polyps among residents in the two regions.

Methods : This study included 21,734 residents who visited a single health checkup center at Jeju National University Hospital between January 2009 and December 2019. We investigated the prevalence and associated factors of gallbladder polyps of two groups:Jeju City residents vs. Seogwipo City residents.

Results : The gallbladder polyp prevalences in Jeju City and Seogwipo City were 10.1% and 9.2% (P = 0.039), respectively. The mean age and the rate of high-risk alcohol intake were higher in Seogwipo City. The mean body mass index and the levels of fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, and alkaline phosphatase were lower in Jeju City.

Conclusions : This study demonstrated a significant difference in gallbladder polyp prevalence between the two regions of Jeju Island. Age and alcohol consumption could be the main factors contributing to this difference.