The Indian journal of chest diseases & allied sciences
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Indian J Chest Dis Allied Sci · Jan 2006
Multicenter StudyA multicentric study on epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its relationship with tobacco smoking and environmental tobacco smoke exposure.
Population prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its relationship with tobacco smoking, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure and other variables were studied in adult subjects of 35 years and above at four different centres in India. Question-items for the diagnosis of COPD were included in the questionnaire used for the field study on asthma epidemiology. ⋯ Population prevalence of COPD is very high in India with some centre to centre differences. Smoking of both bidis and cigarettes, and ETS exposure among nonsmokers, were two important risk factors at all centres. It is important to employ uniform methodology for assessment of national burden and disease-surveillance programme.