[Changes in the patterns of disease after the epidemiological transition in health in Chile, 1950-2003].
BACKGROUND
During the twentieth century there was a change in the pattern of diseases in Europe, with an increase in the incidence of allergies and autoimmune disorders, that paralleled a decrease of infectious conditions. The Hygiene hypothesis proposes that these phenomena are causally related.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the epidemiological changes of allergic, autoimmune, and infectious diseases in Chile between 1950 and 2003.


METHODS
Search for the incidence and prevalence of these diseases in the national records published by the Ministry of Health, as well as through a systematic search of national literature using PubMed and Scielo as search engines.


RESULTS
The annual incidence of tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, measles, and typhoid fever has progressively diminished in Chile since 1970. Figures for the national prevalence for asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and type I diabetes are scarce and difficult to compare, but clearly show an increasing epidemiological trend in the last 20 years.


CONCLUSIONS
The national figures suggest that, although the country has only recently gone through an epidemiological transition in health problems, there are detectable changes that show the same trends described in Europe.
Luque
Cecilia
C
Programa de especialización en Gastroenterología Pediátrica, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Cisternas
Felipe A
FA
Araya
Magdalena
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000453:epidemiology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019049:Developed Countries; D003906:Developing Countries; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D019456:Health Transition; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors