Impact of Economic Development on COPD Mortality in Hong Kong
Author Information
Author(s): Chen Jing, Schooling Catherine Mary, Johnston Janice Mary, Hedley Anthony Johnson, McGhee Sarah Morag
Primary Institution: Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong
Hypothesis
How does socioeconomic development affect COPD mortality?
Conclusion
Economic development may reduce vulnerability to COPD, but gains could be offset by increased air pollution and smoking.
Supporting Evidence
- COPD mortality declined strongly over generations for people born from the early to mid 20th century.
- Population-wide COPD mortality decreased when air quality improved.
- COPD mortality increased with age, particularly after menopause among women.
- Economic development may reduce long-lasting insults to the respiratory system.
Takeaway
This study looks at how growing up in a richer environment can help people live longer with fewer lung problems, but pollution can make things worse.
Methodology
Poisson regression was used to analyze sex-specific COPD mortality rates from 1981 to 2005.
Potential Biases
Changes in ICD coding may have added uncertainty to the model.
Limitations
The diagnosis of COPD can be uncertain, and the study is descriptive, limiting causal inferences.
Participant Demographics
The study focused on the population of Hong Kong, with a low prevalence of smoking among women.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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