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. 2021 May 10;39(7):835–851. doi: 10.1007/s40273-021-01035-4

Table 2.

Characteristics of the people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) in total and by year of diagnosis, and of the population-based matched references

PwMS Matched references
n = 7981
2010 cohort 2011 cohort 2012 cohort All PwMS p valuea
n = 611 n = 706 n = 671 n = 1988
n (%) n (%) n (%) n (%) n (%)
Sociodemographic characteristicsb
Sexc 0.806
Women 424 69.4 488 69.1 451 67.2 1363 68.6 5449 68.3
Men 187 30.6 218 30.9 220 32.8 625 31.4 2532 31.7
Type of living areac
Stockholm 106 17.4 137 19.4 134 20.0 377 19.0 1509 18.9 0.993
Other large cities 102 16.7 115 16.3 131 19.5 348 17.5 1382 17.3
Medium-sized towns 215 35.2 266 37.7 203 30.3 684 34.4 2741 34.3
Small towns/rural areas 188 30.8 188 26.6 203 30.3 579 29.1 2349 29.4
Country of birthc
Outside Sweden 68 11.1 68 9.6 83 12.4 219 11.0 872 10.9 0.908
Sweden 543 88.9 638 90.4 588 87.6 1769 89.0 7109 89.1
Age (years)c 0.906
19–24 99 16.2 105 14.9 126 18.8 330 16.6 1301 16.3
25–34 188 30.8 213 30.2 192 28.6 593 29.8 2357 29.5
35–44 188 30.8 223 31.6 206 30.7 617 31.0 2463 30.9
45–55 136 22.3 165 23.4 147 21.9 448 22.5 1860 23.3
Educational level 0.497
No college/university 392 64.2 437 61.9 440 65.6 1269 63.8 5029 63.0
College or university 219 35.8 269 38.1 231 34.4 719 36.2 2952 37.0
Cohabiting/married 0.190
No 327 53.5 371 52.6 333 49.6 1031 51.9 4008 50.2
Yes 284 46.5 335 47.5 338 50.4 957 48.1 3973 49.8
Children living at home 0.002
No 363 59.4 397 56.2 366 54.6 1126 56.6 4205 52.7
Yes 248 40.6 309 43.8 305 45.5 862 43.4 3776 47.3
Type of work 0.026
Manager 14 2.3 25 3.5 12 1.8 51 2.6 304 3.8
Office work 190 31.1 243 34.4 236 35.2 669 33.7 2805 35.2
Manual labour and customer service 276 45.2 298 42.2 292 43.5 866 43.6 3373 42.3
Unspecified work 57 9.3 54 7.7 61 9.1 172 8.7 606 7.6
Not in paid work 74 12.1 86 12.2 70 10.4 230 11.6 893 11.2
Comorbidity in Y−4d
Depression/anxietye 0.048
No 543 88.9 619 87.7 589 87.8 1751 88.1 7152 89.6
Yes 68 11.1 87 12.3 82 12.2 237 11.9 829 10.4
Painf <.0001
No 491 80.4 556 78.8 516 76.9 1563 78.6 6599 82.7
Yes 120 19.6 150 21.3 155 23.1 425 21.4 1382 17.3
Comorbidity categoriesg 0.002
0 169 27.7 196 27.8 196 29.2 561 28.2 2533 31.7
1–2 333 54.5 371 52.6 350 52.2 1054 53.0 4082 51.2
3–4 73 12.0 89 12.6 92 13.7 254 12.8 1010 12.7
5+ 36 5.9 50 7.1 33 4.9 119 6.0 356 4.5

ATC Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System, DMT disease-modifying therapy, MS multiple sclerosis, SPDR Swedish Prescribed Drug Register

aP-value calculated with Pearson’s Chi2 tests. Differences in proportions were tested between all PwMS and the matched references without MS, p < 0.05

bSociodemographic characteristics measured at baseline (match date 31 December Y-5). Individuals with missing values were placed in the lowest category

cVariables used in matching 1:4, with age matched in exact years. Subsequent exclusions because of death or emigration, and for sickness absence or disability pension due to MS among the matched references, mean that the numbers presented no longer sum exactly to a 1:4 ratio

dComorbidity and drug information with regard to the entire calendar year of the first (Y−4) study year

eAnxiety/depression was identified from the respective RxRisk Comorbidity index categories according to the SPDR by ATC codes: N05BA01-N05BA56; N05BE01; N06AA01-N06AG02; N06AX01-N06AX11; N06AX13-N06AX26; and N06AX12

fPain drugs were identified from the respective RxRisk Comorbidity index categories according to the SPDR by ATC codes: M01AB01-M01AX01; and N02AA01-N02AX99

gComorbidity is according to a modified RxRisk Comorbidity index constructed by ATC codes from the SPDR or whether in the Swedish Cancer Register, excluding MS DMTs (ATC codes: L03AB07; L03AB08; L03AB13; L03AX13; L04AA31; L04AA23; L04AA27; L04AA34; L01XC02; L04AC01; and N07XX09). Comorbidity refers to the number of condition categories within the calendar year