title: Geographic distribution of MS in New Zealand: evidence from hospital admissions and deaths.
abstract: We studied the occurrence of multiple sclerosis (MS) in residents of all regions of New Zealand by analyzing first hospital admissions and deaths. Maoris had a much lower proportion of first admissions and deaths than the proportion of Maoris in the general population. For non-Maoris, both first hospital admission and mortality rates increased steadily from the northern part of the country to the south, with one possible exception.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago Medical School, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fawcett
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Skegg
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality; D009520:New Zealand; D010343:Patient Admission; D012737:Sex Factors; D044465:White People