No Cover Image

Journal article 201 views 14 downloads

The relationship between ethnicity and multiple sclerosis characteristics in the United Kingdom: A UK MS Register study

Benjamin M Jacobs Orcid Logo, Luisa Schalk, Emily Tregaskis-Daniels, Pooja Tank, Sadid Hoque, Michelle Peter, Katherine Tuite-Dalton, James Witts Orcid Logo, UK MS Register Study Group, Riley Bove Orcid Logo, Ruth Dobson Orcid Logo

Multiple Sclerosis Journal, Volume: 30, Issue: 11-12, Pages: 1544 - 1555

Swansea University Authors: Katherine Tuite-Dalton, James Witts Orcid Logo

  • 10.1177_13524585241277018.pdf

    PDF | Version of Record

    © The Author(s), 2024. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY 4.0).

    Download (2.08MB)

Check full text

DOI (Published version): 10.1177/13524585241277018

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have suggested differences in multiple sclerosis (MS) severity according to ethnicity. Methods: Data were obtained from the UK MS Register, a prospective longitudinal cohort study of persons with MS. We examined the association between self-reported ethnic background and...

Full description

Published in: Multiple Sclerosis Journal
ISSN: 1352-4585 1477-0970
Published: SAGE Publications 2024
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68127
Abstract: Background: Previous studies have suggested differences in multiple sclerosis (MS) severity according to ethnicity. Methods: Data were obtained from the UK MS Register, a prospective longitudinal cohort study of persons with MS. We examined the association between self-reported ethnic background and age at onset, symptom of onset and a variety of participant-reported severity measures. We used adjusted multivariable linear regression models to explore the association between ethnicity and impact of MS, and Cox proportional hazards models to assess disability progression. Results: We analysed data from 17,314 people with MS, including participants from self-reported Black (n = 157) or South Asian (n = 230) ethnic backgrounds. Age at MS onset and diagnosis was lower in those of South Asian (median 30.0) and Black (median 33.0) ethnicity compared with White ethnicity (median 35.0). In participants with online MS severity measures available, we found no statistically significant evidence for an association between ethnic background and physical disability in MS in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Conclusion: We found no association between ethnic background and MS severity in a large, diverse UK cohort. These findings suggest that other factors, such as socioeconomic status and structural inequalities, may explain previous findings.
Keywords: Ethnicity, multiple sclerosis, severity, healthcare inequality
College: Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
Funders: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: BMJ was supported by a Medical Research Council (MRC) Clinical Research Training Fellowship (CRTF) jointly funded by the UK MS Society (BMJ; grant reference: MR/V028766/1) while carrying out this work.
Issue: 11-12
Start Page: 1544
End Page: 1555

Similar Items