title: National prevalence of gout derived from administrative health data in Aotearoa New Zealand.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous small studies in Aotearoa New Zealand have indicated a high prevalence of gout. This study sought to determine the prevalence of gout in the entire Aotearoa New Zealand population using national-level health data sets.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used hospitalization and drug dispensing claims for allopurinol and colchicine for the entire Aotearoa New Zealand population from the Aotearoa New Zealand Health Tracker (ANZHT) to estimate the prevalence of gout in 2009, stratified by age, gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status (n = 4 295 296).
  
  
  RESULTS
  were compared with those obtained from an independent large primary care data set (HealthStat, n = 555 313). Results. The all-ages crude prevalence of diagnosed gout in the ANZHT population was 2.69%. A similar prevalence of 2.89% was observed in the HealthStat population standardized to the ANZHT population for age, gender, ethnicity and deprivation. Analysis of the ANZHT population showed that gout was more common in Māori and Pacific people [relative risk (RR) 3.11 and 3.59, respectively], in males (RR 3.58), in those living in the most socio-economically deprived areas (RR 1.41) and in those aged >65 years (RR >40) (P-value for all <0.0001). The prevalence of gout in elderly Māori and Pacific men was particularly high at >25%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Applying algorithms to national administrative data sets provides a readily available method for estimating the prevalence of a chronic condition such as gout, where diagnosis and drug treatment are relatively specific for this disease. We have demonstrated high gout prevalence in the entire Aotearoa New Zealand population, particularly among Māori and Pacific people.
authors.affiliation: Counties Manukau District Health Board, 19 Lambie Drive, Private Bag 94052, South Auckland Mail Centre, Manukau City, Auckland 2241, New Zealand. doone.winnard@middlemore.co.nz
authors.forename: Doone
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Winnard
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Te Karu
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Gow
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arroll
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thornley
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gribben
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dalbeth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000493:Allopurinol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003078:Colchicine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006073:Gout / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006074:Gout Suppressants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011634:Public Health; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D006074:Gout Suppressants; D000493:Allopurinol; D003078:Colchicine