Trends in Mortality from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Alberta: Back to the Future?

Trends in mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Alberta over 60 years, from 1927 to 1987, for ages 15 and above or both sexes, were examined. There was a striking decline in mortality among older adults in the 1930s and 1940s. a nadir that lasted almost 10 years in the 1950s...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Tee L Guidotti
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 1995-01-01
Series:Canadian Respiratory Journal
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/1995/543869
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832558885931581440
author Tee L Guidotti
author_facet Tee L Guidotti
author_sort Tee L Guidotti
collection DOAJ
description Trends in mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Alberta over 60 years, from 1927 to 1987, for ages 15 and above or both sexes, were examined. There was a striking decline in mortality among older adults in the 1930s and 1940s. a nadir that lasted almost 10 years in the 1950s, and a striking increase thereafter. By 1970, most age groups had returned to levels of the 1930s. This overall trend was observed in both the younger age groups (aged 15 to 50) and older adults, although mortality from COPD in the former disproportionately reflected asthma-related deaths. Subsequently, mortality climbed still higher in older age groups, but not in the younger age groups. The sustained rise in mortality in older age groups after the Second World War is presumably related to smoking habits. Historical trends in Alberta were then compared with Canada as a whole for both sexes over 50 years of age. Although Alberta had a much lower mortality from COPD than Canada as a whole, this difference disappeared by 1980. There is no obvious explanation that would explain all of the observed trends, but they appear more likely to be a consequence of social and environmental conditions, including changes in health-related behaviour, than of major changes in medical management at the time.
format Article
id doaj-art-b2fb2a4bc48d4bd5bba1ded4a9ec830a
institution Kabale University
issn 1198-2241
language English
publishDate 1995-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Canadian Respiratory Journal
spelling doaj-art-b2fb2a4bc48d4bd5bba1ded4a9ec830a2025-02-03T01:31:21ZengWileyCanadian Respiratory Journal1198-22411995-01-01229710310.1155/1995/543869Trends in Mortality from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Alberta: Back to the Future?Tee L Guidotti0Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaTrends in mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Alberta over 60 years, from 1927 to 1987, for ages 15 and above or both sexes, were examined. There was a striking decline in mortality among older adults in the 1930s and 1940s. a nadir that lasted almost 10 years in the 1950s, and a striking increase thereafter. By 1970, most age groups had returned to levels of the 1930s. This overall trend was observed in both the younger age groups (aged 15 to 50) and older adults, although mortality from COPD in the former disproportionately reflected asthma-related deaths. Subsequently, mortality climbed still higher in older age groups, but not in the younger age groups. The sustained rise in mortality in older age groups after the Second World War is presumably related to smoking habits. Historical trends in Alberta were then compared with Canada as a whole for both sexes over 50 years of age. Although Alberta had a much lower mortality from COPD than Canada as a whole, this difference disappeared by 1980. There is no obvious explanation that would explain all of the observed trends, but they appear more likely to be a consequence of social and environmental conditions, including changes in health-related behaviour, than of major changes in medical management at the time.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/1995/543869
spellingShingle Tee L Guidotti
Trends in Mortality from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Alberta: Back to the Future?
Canadian Respiratory Journal
title Trends in Mortality from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Alberta: Back to the Future?
title_full Trends in Mortality from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Alberta: Back to the Future?
title_fullStr Trends in Mortality from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Alberta: Back to the Future?
title_full_unstemmed Trends in Mortality from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Alberta: Back to the Future?
title_short Trends in Mortality from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Alberta: Back to the Future?
title_sort trends in mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in alberta back to the future
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/1995/543869
work_keys_str_mv AT teelguidotti trendsinmortalityfromchronicobstructivepulmonarydiseaseinalbertabacktothefuture