Socio-economic factors and immigrant population studies of multiple sclerosis

P Berg-Hansen; E G Celius

doi:10.1111/ane.12429

Socio-economic factors and immigrant population studies of multiple sclerosis

Acta Neurol Scand. 2015;132(199):37-41. doi: 10.1111/ane.12429.

Authors

P Berg-Hansen^{1

2}, E G Celius^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital Ullevål, Oslo, Norway.
² Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

PMID: 26046557
DOI: 10.1111/ane.12429

Abstract

The uneven geographical distribution of multiple sclerosis (MS) and the differences in disease severity observed between different ethnic groups indicate a complex interplay between genetic and environmental risk factors involved in the disease pathogenesis. Changes in MS risk after migration suggest influence of environmental factors on disease susceptibility. Whether the risk of MS is affected by socio-economic status (SES) is still controversial. In the present review, the combined knowledge from studies of migration and SES in MS is discussed.

Keywords: epidemiology; ethnicity; migration; multiple sclerosis; prevalence; socio-economic factors.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Disease Susceptibility
Emigrants and Immigrants / statistics & numerical data*
Ethnicity
Humans
Incidence
Multiple Sclerosis / epidemiology*
Prevalence
Risk Factors
Socioeconomic Factors*