Publications by authors named "J M A Wijnands"
Objective: Associations between place and population health are of interest to researchers and policymakers. The objective of this paper is to explore, summarise and compare content across contemporary Australian geo-referenced population health survey data sets.
Methods: A search for recent (2015 or later) population health surveys from within Australia containing geographic information from participants was conducted.
Background: Much remains unknown surrounding the disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) used to treat multiple sclerosis and infection-related healthcare use in the 'real-world' setting. We examined if DMD exposure was associated with altered infection-related healthcare use.
Methods: We assessed if DMD (versus no) exposure was associated with altered infection-related hospitalizations, physician claims, and prescriptions filled in British Columbia, Canada (1996-2017).
Objective: There has been interest in a possible negative association between HIV and multiple sclerosis (MS). We aimed to compare the risk of MS in a cohort of individuals living with HIV to that in the general population.
Methods: Population-based health data were accessed for 2 cohorts of HIV-positive persons from Sweden and British Columbia, Canada.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how immigration status affects the use of disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in British Columbia, Canada, focusing on those with universal health coverage.
- Researchers analyzed health data from MS patients between 1996 and 2012, including both immigrants and long-term residents, to determine the likelihood of filling a DMD prescription within five years of their first healthcare encounter related to MS.
- Results indicated that while overall DMD use did not significantly differ between immigrants and long-term residents, lower socioeconomic status (SES) immigrants had reduced odds of filling DMD prescriptions.
Article Synopsis
- This study explores how sex and age impact healthcare use in individuals experiencing the prodrome of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), revealing that males and older adults have different healthcare needs than females and younger patients.
- Using data from British Columbia, the research analyzed physician visits, hospitalizations, and prescriptions among MS cases and their matched controls, identifying significant differences in healthcare engagement by age and sex.
- Findings indicate that older adults have higher rates of injury and infection-related hospitalizations, while younger patients see more sensory-related visits and cardiovascular prescriptions, emphasizing the need to consider these factors in managing MS patients.