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Table 1 Patients’ demographics, labor force and clinical characteristics in each EDSS level

From: Cost analysis of multiple sclerosis in Brazil: a cross-sectional multicenter study

 

Mild (EDSS 0–3) (N = 84)

Moderate (EDSS 4–6.5) (N = 91)

Severe (EDSS 7–9) (N = 33)

TOTAL (N = 210)a

p-values*

 

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

 

Age (years) (Mean [SD])

36.8 (10.1)

41.2 (11.4)

49.2 (10.9)

40.7 (11.5)

<0.001

Gender

    

0.056

 Male

18 (21)

30 (33)

14 (42)

62 (29)

 Female

66 (79)

61 (67)

19 (58)

148 (70)

Educational level

    

0.044

 Never been to school

–

–

–

–

 Elementary schoolb

11 (13)

14 (16)

10 (30)

35 (16)

 High schoolb

34 (41)

53 (58)

13 (39)

100 (48)

 Higher educationb

31 (37)

21 (23)

8 (24)

61 (29)

 Post-Graduationb

8 (10)

3 (3)

1 (3)

12 (6)

 No information

–

–

1 (3)

1 (1)

Living

    

0.004

 Alone

–

8 (9)

2 (6)

11 (5)

 Family/Spouse

84 (100)

83 (91)

30 (91)

198 (94)

 Home support or asylum

–

–

1 (3)

1 (1)

Monthly income (USD$) (Mean [SD])

817.96 (899.18)

748.93 (790.96)

904.50 (994.75)

806.47 (869.39)

0.8925

MS type

    

<0.001

 Relapse-remitting

84 (100)

75 (82)

5 (15)

166 (79)

 Secondary progressive

–

16 (18)

28 (85)

44 (21)

Diagnosis time (years) (Mean [SD])

5.2 (4.4)

8.2 (5.8)

n.a.

7.9 (6.2)

 

Comorbities

64 (76)

79 (87)

30 (91)

173 (82)

0.074

Relapses (Y/N)

41 (49)

52 (57)

8 (24)

102 (49)

0.004

 Number of relapses in the last year (Mean [SD])

1.5 (1.0)

1.7 (1.0)

1.4 (0.5)

1.6 (1.0)

 

Employed/Self-employed

51 (31)

17 (19)

0 (0)

70 (34)

<0.001

Sick leave due to Multiple Sclerosisc

15 (29)

11 (65)

n.a.

26 (37)

0.089

 Sick leave duration (days) (Mean [SD])

170.5 (258.4)

90.9 (75.0)

n.a.

141.7 (198.7)

 

Early retirement by disease or disablement

9 (11)

48 (53)

21 (64)

78 (37)

<0.001

 Time between diagnosis and retirement (years) (Mean [SD])

4.9 (5.1)

3.5 (3.9)

4.2 (4.2)

3.9 (4.1)

 

 Age at retirement (years) (Mean [SD])

42 (12.0)

38 (8.9)

39 (9.9)

39 (9.5)

 

Health-related Quality of Life (EQ-5D)

     

Mobility

    

<0.001

 no problem

56 (66.7)

7 (7.7)

–

64 (30)

 some problem

28 (33.3)

83 (91.2)

22 (66.7)

134 (64)

 serious problem

–

1 (1.1)

11 (33.3)

12 (6)

Self-care

    

<0.001

 no problem

77 (91.7)

51 (56.0)

4 (12.1)

133 (63)

 some problem

7 (8.3)

40 (44.0)

18 (54.5)

66 (31)

 serious problem

–

–

11 (33.3)

11 (5)

Usual activities

    

<0.001

 no problem

52 (61.9)

17 (18.7)

2 (6.1)

72 (34)

 some problem

31 (36.9)

68 (74.7)

15 (45.5)

115 (55)

 serious problem

1 (1.2)

6 (6.6)

16 (48.5)

23 (11)

Pain/discomfort

    

0.001

 no problem

39 (46.4)

21 (23.1)

7 (21.2)

68 (32)

 some problem

43 (51.2)

57 (62.6)

26 (78.8)

126 (60)

 serious problem

2 (2.4)

12 (13.2)

–

15 (7)

 no information

–

1 (1.1)

–

1 (1)

Anxiety/depression

    

0.148

 no problem

35 (41.7)

30 (33.0)

15 (45.5)

80 (38)

 some problem

42 (50.0)

45 (49.5)

17 (51.5)

106 (51)

 serious problem

7 (8.3)

16 (17.6)

1 (3.0)

24 (11)

 EQ-VAS (Mean [SD])

82.5 (13.7)

65.8 (18.5)

59.1 (17.5)

71.6 (18.9)

<0.001

Impact of fatigue on daily living (MFIS-BR)

    

<0.001

 Absent

56 (67)

33 (36)

11 (33)

102 (49)

 Present - Low

17 (20)

34 (37)

16 (48)

67 (32)

 Present - High

11 (13)

24 (26)

6 (18)

41 (19)

  1. n.a. not applicable; EDSS Expanded Disability Status Scale; SD Standard Deviation; MS Multiple Sclerosis; Y/N Yes/No
  2. *Pearson Chi-square test to categorical variables or ANOVA/Kruskal-Wallis test to continuous variables
  3. aFor two patients information about EDSS level was unavailable and their data are included only in total analysis
  4. bComplete/incomplete
  5. cAmong those that reported to be currently working (EDSS 0–3, N = 51; EDSS 4–6.5, N = 17; EDSS 7–9, N = 0; Total, N = 70)
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BMC Health Services Research

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