Prevalencia y características en enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica en el Distrito 03D01, Cañar - Ecuador, 2014 – 2024

Abstract

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disease and public health problem due to its morbidity and mortality, impact on quality of life, and burden on health systems. Objective: To determine the prevalence of COPD in the 03D01 Health District of Cañar during 2014–2024, identifying epidemiological trends and associated characteristics. Methodology: An observational, analytical, retrospective, and cross-sectional study was conducted, using records from the Ministry of Health. People ≥40 years of age with a diagnosis of COPD (ICD-10 J40–J44) were analyzed. Of 3,174,699 records, 827,570 eligible records were analyzed, identifying 1,504 diagnoses. The prevalence and distribution according to sex, age, ethnicity, residence, and year were estimated. Results: The prevalence based on administrative records was 0.18%. Males accounted for 53.92% and females for 46.08% . The group aged 80 years or older accounted for 53.52%, followed by the group aged 70 to 79 years (23.87%). Mestizo ethnicity accounted for 99.27% and Azogues accounted for 71.21% of the cases. An increase was observed between 2022 and 2024. There was a significant association between COPD and sex, age, residence, and year of care (p < 0.05). Conclusion: COPD was frequently recorded in older adults attended to in District 03D01. The increase during the pandemic and post-pandemic is a trend observed in administrative records and does not show an increase in population-level prevalence. These results provide local evidence to strengthen prevention, timely diagnosis, and comprehensive management of COPD at the first level of care. Key words: COPD, prevalence, epidemiology, records, Ecuador