Race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and ALS mortality in the United States

Publication
Affiliates Andrea L. Roberts [1], Norman J. Johnson [4], Jarvis T. Chen [1], Merit E. Cudkowicz [5,6], Marc G. Weisskopf [2,3]

 

[1] Department of Social and Behavioral, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
[2] Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
[3] Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
[4] United States Census Bureau
[5] Harvard Medical School
[6] MGH Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital

Journal Neurology
Summary This study sought to characterize the relationships between race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status with ALS mortality in the United States. Results indicated a higher rate of ALS among white participants versus non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic participants. Analyses controlled for multiple measures of socioeconomic status, birthplace, or type of health insurance; thus, the observed higher rate of ALS among white participants is likely a true observation rather than not capturing cases accurately or effects of socioeconomic status on ALS risk.
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