Table 1 Clinical and demographic characteristics of the sample

Diagnosis

 Primary progressive

12 (5)

3 (7)

-

15 (5)

 Secondary progressive

32 (13)

13 (31)

-

45 (16)

 Relapsing remitting

203 (82)

26 (62)

-

229 (79)

 Missing data

29

26

-

55

Duration of disease from onset of symptoms (years)

 Mean ± SD

9 ± 8

9 ± 9

-

9 ± 8

 Median (range)

7 (0–32)

6 (0–32)

-

6 (0–32)

 Missing data

0

4

-

4

Sex

 Female

192 (70)

48 (71)

63 (71)

303 (70)

 Male

84 (30)

20 (29)

26 (29)

130 (30)

Age (years)

 Mean ± SD

43 ± 11

45 ± 12

49 ± 13

45 ± 12

 Median (range)

43 (2072)

45 (21–72)

50 (23–76)

45 (20–76)

Area of residence

 Northern Italy

138 (50)

42 (62)

58 (66)

238 (55)

 Central Italy

72 (26)

22 (16)

15 (17)

98 (23)

 South and islands

65 (24)

15 (22)

15 (17)

95 (22)

 Missing data

1

0

1

2

Size of places of residence

  < 5000 inhabitants

49 (18)

16 (24)

10 (11)

75 (17)

 5000–50,000 inhabitants

116 (42)

22 (32)

23 (26)

161 (37)

 50,000–100,000 inhabitants

30 (11)

14 (21)

7 (8)

51 (12)

 100,000–500,000 inhabitants

42 (15)

5 (7)

13 (15)

60 (14)

  > 500,000 inhabitants

38 (14)

11 (16)

35 (40)

84 (19)

 Missing data

1

0

1

2

Education

 Primary school diploma

2 (1)

2 (3)

1 (1)

5 (1)

 Middle school diploma

30 (11)

10 (15)

14 (16)

54 (12)

 High school diploma or higher

244 (88)

56 (82)

74 (83)

374 (87)

Employment

 Employed

185 (67)

50 (74)

48 (54)

283 (65)

 Retired

33 (12)

9 (13)

26 (29)

68 (16)

 Student

10 (4)

1 (1)

2 (2)

13 (3)

 Homemaker

22 (8)

1 (1)

8 (9)

31 (7)

 Unemployed looking for work

26 (9)

7 (10)

5 (6)

38 (9)