Measuring the burden of disease and injury in Spain using disability-adjusted life years: an updated and policy-oriented overview.
OBJECTIVE
To provide a comprehensive and detailed overview of the burden of disease in Spain for 2008. Implications for public health policies are discussed.


METHODS
Cross-sectional population-based study.


METHODS
Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were calculated at country level using the methodology developed in the Global Burden of Disease study. DALYs were divided into years of life lost and years of life lived with disability. Results were obtained using Spanish mortality data for 2008 and morbidity data estimated previously by the World Health Organization for Euro-A.


RESULTS
In 2008, DALYs lost due to all diseases and injuries were estimated at 5.1 million. Non-communicable diseases accounted for 89.2% of the total DALYs. The leading causes of DALYs were neurological and mental disorders (29.9%), malignant neoplasms (15.8%) and cardiovascular diseases (12.5%). The main specific causes included depression (5.5%), ischaemic heart disease (5.5%), lung cancer (5.3%) and alcohol abuse (4.7%) among males; and depression (11.7%), dementias (10.0%), hearing loss (4.2%) and cerebrovascular disease (3.5%) among females.


CONCLUSIONS
Measuring DALYs specifically for Spain represents a systematic analysis of population health losses, and also provides an important measure to track the outcomes of future health interventions.
Primary Care General Directorate, Regional Health Council, Madrid, Spain. ricard.genova@salud.madrid.org
R
R
Gènova-Maleras
E
E
Álvarez-Martín
C
C
Morant-Ginestar
N
N
Fernández de Larrea-Baz
F
F
Catalá-López
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D055815:Young Adult