BMC Neurology (Apr 2024)
Childhood and adolescence factors and multiple sclerosis: results from the German National Cohort (NAKO)
- Anja Holz,
- Nadia Obi,
- Wolfgang Ahrens,
- Klaus Berger,
- Barbara Bohn,
- Hermann Brenner,
- Beate Fischer,
- Julia Fricke,
- Amand Führer,
- Sylvia Gastell,
- Karin Halina Greiser,
- Volker Harth,
- Jana-Kristin Heise,
- Bernd Holleczek,
- Thomas Keil,
- Carolina J. Klett-Tammen,
- Michael Leitzmann,
- Wolfgang Lieb,
- Claudia Meinke-Franze,
- Karin B. Michels,
- Rafael Mikolajczyk,
- Katharina Nimptsch,
- Annette Peters,
- Tobias Pischon,
- Oliver Riedel,
- Tamara Schikowski,
- Sabine Schipf,
- Börge Schmidt,
- Matthias B. Schulze,
- Andreas Stang,
- Kerstin Hellwig,
- Karin Riemann-Lorenz,
- Christoph Heesen,
- Heiko Becher
Affiliations
- Anja Holz
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology (IMBE), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)
- Nadia Obi
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology (IMBE), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)
- Wolfgang Ahrens
- Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology – BIPS
- Klaus Berger
- Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster
- Barbara Bohn
- NAKO e.V.
- Hermann Brenner
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division of Preventive Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
- Beate Fischer
- Institute for Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg
- Julia Fricke
- Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
- Amand Führer
- Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometrics and Informatics (IMEBI), Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences, Medical School of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
- Sylvia Gastell
- NAKO Study Center, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke
- Karin Halina Greiser
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
- Volker Harth
- Institute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)
- Jana-Kristin Heise
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI)
- Bernd Holleczek
- Saarland Cancer Registry
- Thomas Keil
- Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
- Carolina J. Klett-Tammen
- Department for Epidemiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI)
- Michael Leitzmann
- Institute for Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg
- Wolfgang Lieb
- Institute of Epidemiology, Kiel University
- Claudia Meinke-Franze
- Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald
- Karin B. Michels
- Institute for Prevention and Cancer Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg
- Rafael Mikolajczyk
- Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometrics and Informatics (IMEBI), Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences, Medical School of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
- Katharina Nimptsch
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Molecular Epidemiology Research Group
- Annette Peters
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH)
- Tobias Pischon
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Molecular Epidemiology Research Group
- Oliver Riedel
- Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology – BIPS
- Tamara Schikowski
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine
- Sabine Schipf
- Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald
- Börge Schmidt
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Medical Faculty, University Duisburg-Essen
- Matthias B. Schulze
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke
- Andreas Stang
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Medical Faculty, University Duisburg-Essen
- Kerstin Hellwig
- Katholisches Klinikum Bochum, Neurology Clinic, Clinic of Ruhr-Universität Bochum
- Karin Riemann-Lorenz
- Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), Institute of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis (INIMS), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)
- Christoph Heesen
- Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), Institute of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis (INIMS), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)
- Heiko Becher
- Institute of Global Health, University Hospital Heidelberg
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-024-03620-4
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 24,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 10
Abstract
Abstract Background Multiple Sclerosis (MS) represents the most common inflammatory neurological disease causing disability in early adulthood. Childhood and adolescence factors might be of relevance in the development of MS. We aimed to investigate the association between various factors (e.g., prematurity, breastfeeding, daycare attendance, weight history) and MS risk. Methods Data from the baseline assessment of the German National Cohort (NAKO) were used to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between childhood and adolescence factors and risk of MS. Analyses stratified by sex were conducted. Results Among a total of 204,273 participants, 858 reported an MS diagnosis. Male sex was associated with a decreased MS risk (HR 0.48; 95% CI 0.41–0.56), while overweight (HR 2.03; 95% CI 1.41–2.94) and obesity (HR 1.89; 95% CI 1.02–3.48) at 18 years of age compared to normal weight were associated with increased MS risk. Having been breastfed for ≤ 4 months was associated with a decreased MS risk in men (HR 0.59; 95% CI 0.40–0.86) compared to no breastfeeding. No association with MS risk was observed for the remaining factors. Conclusions Apart from overweight and obesity at the age of 18 years, we did not observe considerable associations with MS risk. The proportion of cases that can be explained by childhood and adolescence factors examined in this study was low. Further investigations of the association between the onset of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence and its interaction with physical activity and MS risk seem worthwhile.
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