Introduction. The range of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) primarily consists of two entities: ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). These are chronic incurable diseases, with periods of exacerbation and remission, and with no explained cause. The first symptoms of the disease occur in people of all ages, but more and more often they involve children and young people. Such diseases determine the future way of life of the sick person. Aim. The aim of this study was to investigate the level of patients’ knowledge about their own disease and preferred lifestyle. Material and methods. The study group consisted of 67 patients treated for inflammatory bowel disease. The study used a questionnaire containing 38 questions. The first part concerned the general data, such as medical diagnosis, gender, age, education, employment status, place of residence, marital status, financial situation and duration of the disease. Other questions referred to the knowledge and interest of the respondents about their own disease. Questions concerned lifestyle and everyday situations, diet, drugs usage, relations, sexuality, physical activity and leisure time. The research material was analyzed statistically. Results. Paitients with nonspecific bowel disease have enough knowledge about their disease including clinical symptoms, factors aggravating them and treatment. There is a need to continuously educate patients about proper lifestyle, dietary treatment and harmfulness of the use of stimulants. Conclusions. Full and satisfactory knowledge of the clinical aspects of the disease, factors aggrevating the disease and healthy lifestyle can contribute to the control of their health and thereby improve the quality and life satisfaction.

Key words: patient, inflammatory bowel disease, knowledge, lifestyle.