A DPOC na Área Metropolitana do Porto e o efeito das ondas de calor e de frio na enfermidade

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the possible socioeconomic aspects associated with the disease were characterized and the effects that heat waves (HW) and cold waves (CW) can have on the increase of hospitalizations in people living in the Porto Metropolitan Area (PMA) between 2000 and 2015 were evaluated. The effects of HW and CW on hospital admissions for COPD were investigated by multiple linear regression analysis, with a significance level of α= 5%. Statistical and cartographic analysis of the geographic distribution of hospitalizations for COPD in the age groups, illiteracy rate and unemployment rate at the parish scale, explained the effects of HW and CW on the aggravation of this disease. From the point of view of the characterization of COPD admissions in PMA, it was concluded that, in general, this disease is associated with parishes with poorer socioeconomic conditions and the older population. Intensity and duration, according to the model used, explain the increase in COPD admission rates during the HW and CW events. However, duration contributed more in heat events and intensity in cold events. Average severity was the only parameter that did not make up the model