Mortality from non-malignant respiratory diseases in Andalusia, Spain, 1975-1997

This study aims to assess mortality trends of nonmalignant respiratory diseases from 1975 through 1997 in the population of Andalusia (a region of Spain in the southwest, population 7,000,000). The death records containing codes 460-519 of the International Classification of Diseases, Eighth Revision (ICD-8) and Ninth Revision (ICD-9) in effect through the 23-year period were used in this study. Deaths from nonmalignant respiratory diseases accounted for 12.4 and 10% of all deaths in males and females in 1975 and for 12.1 and 8.3% in 1997. Crude death rates decreased from 107.5 to 102.7 per 100,000 amongst men, and from 76.9 to 62.2 per 100,000 amongst women. Age-adjusted death rates decreased from 167.6 to 111.6 per 100,000 in men and from 84.4 to 41.2 per 100,000 in women. Age-adjusted death rate by potential years of life lost decreased from 5.8 to 2.4 per 1000 in men and from 2.4 to 0.8 per 1000 in women. Total percentage of change, adjusted by age, showed a decrease of 24.3% in men and 45.9% in women. Gender-adjusted rates for each category of nonmalignant respiratory disorders showed an upward trend of obstructive lung diseases in men and a downward trend of diseases of the upper airways and pneumonia both in men and women. Specific death rates by age groups for 1975-1985 and 1986-1997 showed an increased in mortality in infants under 1 year of age and in abrupt decrease up to the age of 50 followed by an exponential increase up to the age of 85.