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Geographic Variations in the Prevalence Rates of Parkinson’s Disease in Alberta

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

W. Svenson Lawrence*
Affiliation:
Provincial Medical Consultant’s Office, Alberta Health, Edmonton
G. Howard Platt*
Affiliation:
Provincial Medical Consultant’s Office, Alberta Health, Edmonton
E. Woodhead Sheena*
Affiliation:
Provincial Medical Consultant’s Office, Alberta Health, Edmonton
*
Provincial Medical Consultant’s Office, Alberta Health, Box 2222, 18th Floor, 10025 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5J 2P4
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Abstract:

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Parkinson’s disease prevalence rates were examined for the Province of Alberta by age, sex and census division. Using the claims administrative data from the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan, a cohort of all registered individuals (2.4 million) was extracted and followed for the five year period, April 1, 1984 to March 31, 1989. No new members were added to the cohort and an attrition rate averaging 6% per year was observed. The overall crude prevalence rates of 248.9 and 239.8 per 100,000 population were noted for males and females respectively. Both sexes were found to have a statistically significant variation across Alberta’s 19 census divisions. For males, examination of standardized morbidity ratios found a low risk of Parkinson’s disease associated with five census divisions, of which two contained Alberta’s two largest cities. An excess risk was associated with four primarily rural census divisions. Females, on the other hand, had a low risk associated with one rural census division and excess risk in four census divisions. The uneven distribution within Alberta offers support for an environmental theory of etiology which may be associated with rural living.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation 1993

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