The evaluation of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases by gender in Turkey: incidence, prevalence, and mortality

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and COPD-related deaths by gender in Turkey. Methods: The data used in the study, covering the years 1990-2019, were taken from the estimation data prepared for Turkey within the global burden of disease study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). Mann-Whitney test was applied to compare the variables according to gender. Non-parametric Spearman rank correlation coefficient was calculated to determine the relationships between variables. Results: The difference between the mean ranks of the total number of prevalences, the total number of incidences, and the total number of deaths by gender were statistically significant. A strong and linear association was found between the risk factors and deaths due to COPD. Conclusion: Policies are needed to decrease the risk factors that lead to the development of COPD. The more risk factors can be controlled, the more lives can be saved.