Correlation between the prevalence of schizophrenia and the sociodemographic status in different areas of Copenhagen
Pedersen, A.L.
Ugeskrift for Laeger 164(14): 1923-1926
2002
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-5782 PMID: 11957427 Document Number: 543659
The results of a statistical study of the prevalence of schizophrenia are presented. The study was designed to determine whether the prevalence of schizophrenic patients admitted to Copenhagen Community Hospital (KH) in 1994 was higher in the low sociodemographic areas of Copenhagen and lower in the high sociodemographic areas. The Jarman's underprivileged area score (UPA score) was used as the sociodemographic index. The study was a retrospective case-referent study. One hundred and eighty-seven patients admitted to KH on the diagnosis of schizophrenia and who were living in one of the four communities connected to KH comprised the study group. A high correlation was found between the prevalence of schizophrenia and the UPA score in the four communities (r = 0.87), but the result was not significant (t:p = 0.15). The high correlation shows that there is a tendency for schizophrenic people to live in the low sociodemographic areas of Copenhagen, but the statistical material is too small to rule out the possibility that this is a statistical fluctuation. To show a statistically significant correlation, a larger study is needed.