Related Experiment Videos
Descriptive epidemiology of Parkinson's disease through proxy measures
D Strickland1, J M Bertoni, R F Pfeiffer
1Department of Preventive and Societal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha 68198-4350, USA.
Summary
This study used anti-Parkinson's disease (PD) drug sales and death certificates to map PD epidemiology in Nebraska. Drug sales correlated with farming, but death rates did not, suggesting methodologic differences.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Neurology
Background:
- Parkinson's Disease (PD) descriptive epidemiology requires cost-effective assessment methods.
- Nebraska was selected as the study area to identify geographic variations in PD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe areas with high and low rates of Parkinson's Disease (PD) in Nebraska.
- To evaluate two inexpensive methods for assessing the descriptive epidemiology of PD.
Main Methods:
- Utilized anti-PD drug sales data (1988-1990) as a proxy for PD prevalence.
- Analyzed death certificate data (1984-1993) mentioning PD as a proxy for PD incidence.
- Correlated drug sales and death rates with demographic and farming exposure data.
Main Results:
- Anti-PD drug sales rates showed a strong correlation with certain farming exposures.
- Age-adjusted PD death rates exhibited minimal association with drug sales or farming variables.
- Discrepancies suggest potential differences in death certificate accuracy or underlying PD incidence versus prevalence.
Conclusions:
- The methods employed offer a valuable, cost-effective approach to identifying potential geographic variations in PD prevalence and incidence.
- These techniques can guide further investigations, including local cluster studies and etiologic research.
- While less precise than community surveys, these methods provide a practical starting point for PD epidemiological research.