NR 503 Week 6 Assignment: Epidemiological Analysis: Chronic Health Problem – COPD

Evaluation Epidemiological Problem: COPD in Kentucky Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic lung disease that is a major cause of disability and is the third leading cause of dea th in the United States (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2013). More than 11 million people have been diagnosed with COPD but millions of others live with this chronic disease undiagnosed (American Lung Association, 2016). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that COPD will rank fifth in the global burden of disease by 2020 (as cited in Kamour, Mannino, & Kanotra, 2015). The prevalence of COPD in the U.S. was 6.1% in 2011 and increased with age (as cited in Kamour, Mannino, & Kanotra, 2015). Worldwide, about 3 million deaths were caused by COPD in 2015 (WHO, 2016). In the state of Kentucky, lung disease is the third leading cause of death (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2016b). Kentucky ranked the highest of all 50 states in prevalence of COPD at 9.3% (American Lung Association, 2013). CO Show Less