TY - JOUR

T1 - Multiple sclerosis in the Faroe Islands. 7. Results of a case control questionnaire with multiple controls

AU - Kurtzke, J F

AU - Hyllested, K

AU - Arbuckle, J D

AU - Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik

AU - Wallin, M T

AU - Heltberg, A

AU - Jacobsen, H

AU - Olsen, A

AU - Eriksen, L S

PY - 1997

Y1 - 1997

N2 - Detailed questionnaires were completed in 1978-79 by 23 of the 28 then known resident Faroese multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and 127 controls. These controls were divided into 69 Group A (patient sibs and other relatives), 37 Group B (matched neighbor controls, their spouses and sibs, plus patient's spouse), and 21 Group C (distant matched controls, spouses, relatives living where MS patients never resided and British troops were not encamped during the war). No differences between cases and controls were found for education, occupation, types of residence, bathing, sanitary or drinking facilities, and nature of house construction or heating. Detailed dietary histories, available for half the subjects, revealed no differences, cases versus controls, for four age periods between age 0 and 30 years, and for 16 specified foodstuffs. Animal exposures showed overall no consistent differences by location or type of animal. There was a tendency to greater exposure to British troops during the war for cases versus Groups A and B but this did not attain statistical significance. Vaccinations for smallpox, tetanus and diphtheria were less common in the MS; no difference was found for other vaccinations. Except for a relative deficit in the cases for rubella and (insignificantly) for measles, mumps and chicken pox, reported illnesses were equally common among all groups. Operations, hospitalizations and injuries did not differentiate the groups, nor did age at menarche for women. Neurologic symptoms were significantly more common in the cases than in the controls.

AB - Detailed questionnaires were completed in 1978-79 by 23 of the 28 then known resident Faroese multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and 127 controls. These controls were divided into 69 Group A (patient sibs and other relatives), 37 Group B (matched neighbor controls, their spouses and sibs, plus patient's spouse), and 21 Group C (distant matched controls, spouses, relatives living where MS patients never resided and British troops were not encamped during the war). No differences between cases and controls were found for education, occupation, types of residence, bathing, sanitary or drinking facilities, and nature of house construction or heating. Detailed dietary histories, available for half the subjects, revealed no differences, cases versus controls, for four age periods between age 0 and 30 years, and for 16 specified foodstuffs. Animal exposures showed overall no consistent differences by location or type of animal. There was a tendency to greater exposure to British troops during the war for cases versus Groups A and B but this did not attain statistical significance. Vaccinations for smallpox, tetanus and diphtheria were less common in the MS; no difference was found for other vaccinations. Except for a relative deficit in the cases for rubella and (insignificantly) for measles, mumps and chicken pox, reported illnesses were equally common among all groups. Operations, hospitalizations and injuries did not differentiate the groups, nor did age at menarche for women. Neurologic symptoms were significantly more common in the cases than in the controls.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Adult

KW - Case-Control Studies

KW - Child

KW - Child, Preschool

KW - Cross-Sectional Studies

KW - Disease Outbreaks

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Incidence

KW - Infant

KW - Male

KW - Multiple Sclerosis

KW - Neurologic Examination

KW - Population Surveillance

KW - Risk Factors

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 9300067

VL - 96

SP - 149

EP - 157

JO - Acta Neurologica Scandinavica

JF - Acta Neurologica Scandinavica

SN - 0001-6314

IS - 3

ER -