Table 1.
Description of the study population characteristics
| MS patients | |
|---|---|
| n (%) | |
| Sex | |
| Men | 4130 (29) |
| Women | 9947 (71) |
| Age groups | |
| 20–24 years old | 280 (2) |
| 25–34 years old | 1691 (12) |
| 35–44 years old | 3387 (24) |
| 45–54 years old | 4217 (30) |
| 55–64 years old | 4502 (32) |
| Education | |
| ≤9 years | 1946 (14) |
| 10–12 years | 6873 (49) |
| ≥13 years | 5196 (37) |
| missing | 62 (0.4) |
| Country of birth | |
| Sweden | 12,580 (89) |
| Other than Sweden | 1497 (11) |
| Type of living area* | |
| Larger cities | 5189 (37) |
| Medium-sized municipalities | 4927 (35) |
| Smaller municipalities | 3961 (28) |
| Geographic region** | |
| East Sweden | 5330 (38) |
| South Sweden | 6054 (43) |
| North Sweden | 2693 (19) |
| Healthcare resource use, during 2010*** | |
| ≥5 prescription drugs | 7534 (54) |
| ≥1 specialized outpatient visit | 10,618 (75) |
| ≥1 hospitalization | 2992 (21) |
| Income, during 2010*** | |
| Disposable income (mean±SD), SEK | 185,854 ± 215,793**** |
| Any sick leave | 2861 (20) |
| Any disability pension | 7263 (52) |
SD standard deviation, MS multiple sclerosis, n number of people
* Based on population density according to the H-region classification scheme: larger cities (H1-H2), medium-sized municipalities (H3-H4), or smaller municipalities (H5-H6) [45]
** Based on Eurostat’s Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics classification (NUTS1): East Sweden (SE1), South Sweden (SE2), or North Sweden (SE3) [46]
*** Figure does not add up to 100%, only one category reported
**** Excluding 33 individuals with negative disposable income and 41 individuals with zero values on disposable income. Disposable income is calculated for each individual from the family’s total income, including earnings, benefits, and other sources