Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2025
A Method of Trigonometric Modelling of Seasonal Variation Demonstrated with Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Data
Published on: December 9, 2015
Incidence rate and prevalence of pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis in Sweden: A population-based register study
Fredrik Sandesjö1, Helen Tremlett2, Katharina Fink3
1Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Insights
Pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (PoMS) incidence and prevalence in Sweden are consistently high and stable. This finding is crucial for allocating healthcare resources for pediatric MS patients.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (PoMS) requires significant healthcare resources.
- Accurate incidence and prevalence data are vital for resource planning.
- Existing studies on PoMS epidemiology are limited and vary in methodology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the nationwide incidence and prevalence of PoMS in Sweden.
- To provide updated epidemiological data for an area with high MS rates.
- To inform healthcare resource allocation for pediatric MS patients.
Main Methods:
- Linked nationwide registers (National Patient Register and Swedish MS Registry).
- Identified MS cases with onset before age 18.
- Estimated annual incidence and prevalence from 2006-2016, stratified by sex and age.
Main Results:
- Identified 238 incident PoMS cases (2006-2016).
- Overall crude incidence rate: 1.12/100,000 person-years; crude prevalence: 2.82/100,000 population.
- Higher incidence in females and older pediatric age groups; rates remained stable.
Conclusions:
- Sweden has a high and stable incidence and prevalence of PoMS.
- Epidemiological data support healthcare planning for pediatric MS.
- Findings are essential for resource allocation and service provision for this population.
Background And Purpose:
Pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (PoMS) is associated with high health care use. To plan resource allocation for this patient group, knowledge of the incidence rate and prevalence is important. However, such studies are scarce, few are population-based, and the methodology varies widely. We aimed to address this knowledge gap by performing a nationwide study of the incidence rate and prevalence of PoMS in Sweden, an area of high multiple sclerosis (MS) incidence and prevalence.
Methods:
MS cases were identified by linking two nationwide registers, the National Patient Register and the Swedish MS Registry. MS cases having their first central nervous system demyelinating event or MS clinical onset before age 18 years were classified as pediatric onset. Incidence rate and prevalence were estimated annually over the study period (2006-2016) for the total population and stratified by sex and age group (<12, 12-15, and 16-17 years). Temporal trends and ratios between sexes and age groups were estimated.
Results:
We identified 238 incident cases from 2006 to 2016, corresponding to an overall crude incidence rate of 1.12 per 100,000 person-years and an overall crude prevalence of 2.82 per 100,000 population. There was a higher incidence rate among females and the highest age category. The overall incidence rate and prevalence estimates remained stable during the study period.
Conclusions:
Sweden exhibits a consistently high incidence rate and prevalence of PoMS that has remained stable over time. This knowledge serves as a tool to aid in planning resource allocation and health services for this patient population.
