Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics in 963 persons with MS by years of age (i.e., 20-39, 40-59, and ≥60)
| Variable | Age Groups
|
p-value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young (n=194) | Middle-aged (n=662) | Older (n=107) | ||
| Age, years | 33.1 (4.7) | 49.6 (5.4) | 63.0 (3.6) | 0.001* |
| Sex, % female | 82.2 | 85.5 | 77.6 | 0.09 |
| Race, % Caucasian | 91.2 | 94.2 | 96.3 | 0.20 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 27.6 (6.8) | 27.1 (6.8) | 27.6 (7.4) | 0.24 |
| Education, % college graduate | 66.0 | 59.6 | 58.9 | 0.26 |
| Income, % >$40K/year | 60.1 | 73.3 | 63.6 | 0.001* |
| Type of MS, %RRMS | 96.9 | 92.0 | 82.2 | 0.01* |
| Disease duration, years | 6.3 (5.0) | 10.8 (7.2) | 16.5 (9.2) | 0.001* |
| PDDS score (mdn, IQR) | 1.0 (3.0) | 2.0 (2.0) | 3.0 (3.0) | 0.001* |
Note. Data presented as mean (SD), unless otherwise noted. MS=multiple sclerosis; RRMS=relapsing-remitting MS; PDDS=Patient Determined Disease Steps; BMI=body mass index;
*
=Significance at p<0.05; Young adults=ages 20-39; Middle-aged=ages 40-59; Older adults=ages ≥60 years