Table 1.
Characteristics of study population.
| Characteristics | Cases n (%) |
Controls n (%) |
Total n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All subjects | 95 (100) | 135 (100) | 230 (100) |
| Sex | |||
| Men | 51 (53.7) | 71 (52.6) | 122 (53.0) |
| Women | 44 (46.3) | 64 (47.4) | 108 (47.0) |
| Age | |||
| Mean (SD) years | 64.9 (11.7) | 66.5 (10.3) | 65.8 (10.9) |
| <65 years | 46 (48.4) | 56 (41.5) | 102 (44.3) |
| ≥65 years | 49 (51.6) | 79 (58.5) | 128 (55.6) |
| Province of residence | |||
| Catania | 19 (20.0) | 21 (15.6) | 40 (17.4) |
| Modena | 29 (30.5) | 47 (34.8) | 76 (33.0) |
| Reggio Emilia | 13 (13.7) | 33 (24.4) | 46 (20.0) |
| Novara | 34 (37.8) | 34 (25.2) | 68 (29.6) |
| Educational attainment | |||
| Primary school or less | 40 (42.1) | 47 (34.8) | 87 (37.8) |
| Middle school | 24 (25.3) | 28 (20.7) | 52 (22.6) |
| High school | 23 (24.2) | 42 (31.1) | 65 (28.3) |
| College or higher | 8 (8.4) | 18 (13.3) | 26 (11.3) |
| Marital status | |||
| Married | 64 (67.4) | 101 (74.8) | 165 (71.7) |
| Unmarried | 9 (9.5) | 8 (5.9) | 17 (7.4) |
| Previously married | 22 (23.2) | 26 (19.3) | 48 (20.9) |
| Occupational sector | |||
| Agriculture | 9 (9.5) | 8 (5.9) | 17 (7.4) |
| Manufacturing | 48 (50.5) | 55 (40.7) | 103 (44.8) |
| Services | 38 (40.0) | 72 (53.3) | 110 (47.8) |
| Handedness | |||
| Right dominant | 83 (87.4) | 124 (91.8) | 207 (90.0) |
| Left dominant | 4 (4.2) | 4 (2.9) | 8 (3.5) |
| Ambidextrous | 8 (8.4) | 7 (5.2) | 15 (6.5) |
| Footedness | |||
| Right dominant | 83 (87.4) | 123 (91.1) | 206 (89.6) |
| Left dominant | 11 (11.6) | 10 (7.4) | 21 (9.1) |
| Ambidextrous | 1 (1.0) | 2 (1.5) | 3 (1.3) |
| ALS cases in the family | |||
| Yes | 5 (5.3) | 2 (1.5) | 7 (3.0) |
| No | 90 (94.7) | 133 (98.5) | 233 (97.0) |
ALS: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.