Epidemiology of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in rural and urban areas of Poland – 2008–2012
Journal Title: Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine - Year 2016, Vol 23, Issue 2
Abstract
[b][/b][b]Objective[/b]. The aim of this study is to investigate the morbidity rate due to Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in the Polish population during 2008–2012, calculated per 1,000 inhabitants, and taking into account the differences between provincess, area of residence (urban or rural) and gender. [b]Materials and method[/b]. From the NFZ IT systems, PESEL number information was obtained for all 17 types of services contracted in 2008–2012, for patients whose main diagnosis in the report was the ICD-10 disease code: M05.X – seropositive rheumatoid arthritis, or M06.X – other rheumatoid arthritis. The number of patients, gender and age were calculated based on the PESEL number provided in the statistical reports of the patient with the analysed ICD-10 diagnosis. Urban and rural cases were compared using commune zip codes. The basis for classifying the patient as a member of an urban or rural population was the Zip Code of the declared place of residence. Urban and rural areas are classified based on administrative criteria provided by the Central Statistical Office: the National Official Register of Territorial Division of the Country (TERYT). [b]Results.[/b] During the studied period the number of RA patients increased from 173,844–230,892. In urban areas, the most patients were recorded in the Śląskie Province, the least in Lubuskie Province. Patients from rural areas were approx. 1/3[sup]rd[/sup] of the total population of patients in Poland. In rural areas, the most patients were recorded in the Mazowieckie Province, the least in Lubuskie Province. The morbidity rate in cities was 5.08 in 2008 and increased to 8.14 in 2012 in rural areas, respectively, it was 3.74 and increased to 3.98. Regardless of the place of residence the women fell ill 3.5 times more frequently. The lowest morbidity rate, both in rural and urban areas, was recorded in the Lubuskie Province, the largest in Świętokrzyskie Province. The the most probable explanation of the highest morbidity rate in the latter province is a worse access to a rheumatologist: in this province there is the lowest number of inhabitants per one employed rheumatologist. [b]Conclusion. [/b]In Poland, the number of RA sufferers is increasing, which is probably a result of increasing life expectancy. In Poland, also exists a differences in morbidity between urban and rural inhabitants. Differences may also derive from undiagnosed cases of the disease.
Authors and Affiliations
Petre Iltchev, Andrzej Śliwczyński, Tomasz Czeleko, Aleksandra Sierocka, Małgorzata Tłustochowicz, Witold Tłustochowicz, Dariusz Timler, Melania Brzozowska, Franciszek Szatko, Michał Marczak
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP79366
- DOI 10.5604/12321966.1203904
- Views 109
- Downloads 0
Occupational injury rates in personnel of emergency medical services
[i][/i][b]Introduction and objectives. [/b]The system of emergency medical services (EMS) in Poland was established in 2006. The risk of occupational injuries to EMS personnel is very high, irrespective of the country wh...
Seroepidemiological study of Lyme borreliosis among forestry workers in southern Poland.
Forestry workers are a professional group particularly exposed to tick-borne infections; however, continuous monitoring of anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies in this group enables faster diagnosis and more effective tr...
Case of the PONS study
Poland is one of the most interesting countries in Central and Eastern Europe, where at the beginning of the 90’s major amazing favourable health changes were observed aft er 30 years of increases in cardiovascular morta...
Antibiotic resistance of [i]Escherichia coli[/i] isolated from a poultry slaughterhouse
The aim of the study was to investigate the antibiotic resistant [i]E. coli[/i] strains isolated from bioaerosols and surface swabs in a slaughterhouse as a possible source of poultry meat contamination. The highest air...
Exposure levels of farmers and veterinarians to particulate matter and gases uring operational tasks in pig-fattening houses
The main objective of the study was to assess particulate matter (PM) exposure levels for both the farmer and the veterinarian during different operational tasks in pig-fattening houses, and to estimate their exposure le...