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Table 1 Characteristics of NAKO baseline participants and distribution of childhood and adolescence factors by MS status

From: Childhood and adolescence factors and multiple sclerosis: results from the German National Cohort (NAKO)

Variable

Persons without MSa

(n = 203415)

Persons with MSa

(n = 858)

Birth year

 < 1955

45610 (22.4%)

125 (14.6%)

 1955–1964

50907 (25.0%)

256 (29.8%)

 1965–1974

55916 (27.5%)

278 (32.4%)

 1975–1984

25551 (12.6%)

136 (15.9%)

 ≥ 1985

25431 (12.5%)

63 (7.3%)

Sex

 Female

102494 (50.4%)

579 (67.5%)

 Male

100921 (49.6%)

279 (32.5%)

Age at diagnosis (Mean (SDa))

NA

36.3 (11.1)

Education

 Low

5107 (2.8%)

20 (2.6%)

 Medium

146116 (79.0%)

606 (77.4%)

 High

33716 (18.2%)

157 (20.1%)

 Missing

18476

75

Migration background

 No

168796 (83.0%)

743 (86.6%)

 Yes

34576 (17.0%)

115 (13.4%)

 Missing

43

0

Number of siblings

 Only child

30926 (18.0%)

130 (18.5%)

 1-2 sibling(s)

107814 (62.7%)

437 (62.3%)

 ≥ 3 siblings

33335 (19.4%)

134 (19.1%)

 Missing

31340

157

Premature birth (> 4 weeks before due date)

 No

156024 (95.7%)

639 (95.5%)

 Yes

7001 (4.3%)

30 (4.5%)

 Missing

40390

189

Cesarean section

 No

155208 (94.4%)

629 (94.2%)

 Yes

9292 (5.6%)

39 (5.8%)

 Missing

38915

190

Birth weight

 Low

17531 (12.6%)

87 (14.8%)

 Average

103066 (74.3%)

421 (71.6%)

 High

18030 (13.0%)

80 (13.6%)

 Missing

64788

270

Ever breastfed

 No

29536 (25.7%)

167 (34.6%)

 Yes, ≤ 4 months

45024 (39.1%)

180 (37.3%)

 Yes, > 4 months

40532 (35.2%)

135 (28.0%)

 Missing

88323

376

Contact with pets and/or livestock during childhood

 No

87293 (50.8%)

348 (49.8%)

 Yes

84668 (49.2%)

351 (50.2%)

 Missing

31454

159

Attended daycare

 No

47393 (28.6%)

196 (29.2%)

 Yes, 1st attendance at age 3-6 years

79977 (48.3%)

336 (50.1%)

 Yes, 1st attendance at age 1- < 3 year(s)

28172 (17.0%)

98 (14.6%)

 Yes, 1st attendance at age < 1 year

10143 (6.1%)

41 (6.1%)

 Missing

37730

187

Weight at the age of 10 years compared to peers

 Lower

43328 (26.6%)

156 (23.5%)

 Average

95681 (58.7%)

387 (58.2%)

 Higher

24064 (14.8%)

122 (18.3%)

 Missing

40342

193

BMIa at the age of 18 years (kg/m2)

 Underweight (< 18.5)

18283 (12.7%)

91 (15.7%)

 Normal weight (18.5 - < 25)

108757 (75.8%)

398 (68.7%)

 Overweight (25 - < 30)

13558 (9.4%)

68 (11.7%)

 Obesity (≥ 30)

2884 (2.0%)

22 (3.8%)

 Missing

59933

279

Childhood Traumab (Mean (SD))

7 (2.7)

7 (3.0)

 Missing

32174

161

  1. aMS Multiple Sclerosis, SD Standard deviation, BMI Body Mass Index
  2. bAssessed with the Childhood Trauma Screener (5 – 25 points)