title: Prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Health District III, Murcia, Spain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) varies throughout the world, and available epidemiological data suggest a progressively increasing prevalence of MS in Spain. The objective of this study was to calculate MS prevalence in Health District III of the autonomous community of Murcia in Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is an observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study. The prevalence of MS in Health District III in the Region of Murcia, which includes the municipalities of Lorca, Totana, Águilas, Puerto Lumbreras and Aledo, was calculated from the total population (171,040 inhabitants), and among native Spanish citizens only (137,659 persons). Healthcare and demographic data were obtained from three sources: 1) OMI-AP: the local primary care computer system containing the medical records of all subscribers; 2) the medical record database of the Hospital Rafael Mendez (the single hospital in the district); and 3) the records of the AEMA III Multiple Sclerosis Association to which patients from this healthcare district belong. Data from these three sources were combined to check the accuracy and completeness of the patient records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of MS among the general population of this district, including non-Spanish individuals, was 71.9 per 100,000 inhabitants (95% CI=60-85). Prevalence among the native Spanish population was 82.0 per 100,000 (95% CI=68-98). Considering prevalence by sex, it was 118.1 per 100,000 (95% CI: 95-146) in the female native Spanish population, and 45.4 per 100,000 (95% CI: 31-64) in the male native Spanish population. The prevalence in the native Spanish population in this district was calculated by sex and age (grouped by decades). A peak was observed among women aged between 20 and 29 years: 234.2 per 100,000 inhabitants (95% CI: 151-361).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that the population in this healthcare district presents a risk of MS similar to that recently reported in other regions of Spain, which is higher than in previous decades.
authors.affiliation: Section of Neurology, Hospital Rafael Méndez, Lorca, Spain. Electronic address: candeliereantonio@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Candeliere-Merlicco
authors.affiliation: Health Centre "Lorca Centro", Lorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Valero-Delgado
authors.affiliation: Section of Neurology, Hospital Morales y Meseguer, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Salvadora
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martínez-Vidal
authors.affiliation: Emergency and Urgency Care Service, Águilas, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: María Del Carmen
authors.initials: Mdel C
authors.lastname: Lastres-Arias
authors.affiliation: Section of Neurology, Hospital Rafael Méndez, Lorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Eladio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aparicio-Castro
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Toledo-Romero
authors.affiliation: Section of Neurology, Hospital Morales y Meseguer, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Villaverde-González
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Epidemiology; Multiple sclerosis; Prevalence; Spain