Mortality characteristics and life loss status for four major types of chronic diseases in Qinghai province, China (2015–2022): based on the data from national-level mortality surveillance sites

Objective To analyze the mortality characteristics, life loss status, and temporal trends of four major types of chronic diseases (malignant tumors, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes mellitus) in Qinghai province from 2015 to 2022, thus providing a scientific basis for the prevention and control of these diseases in the region.

Methods A total of 77 582 death case records were collected from 10 national-level mortality surveillance sites in the Mortality Surveillance System of Qinghai Province during 2015–2022. Indicators including crude mortality rate (CMR), standardized mortality rate (SMR), age-specific mortality rate (ASMR), avoidable potential years of life lost (PYLL), avoidable potential years of life lost rate (PYLLR), and avoidable average years of life lost (AYLL) of the four major types of chronic diseases were analyzed. The average annual percent change (AAPC) was used to describe their temporal trends.

Results From 2015 to 2022 in Qinghai province, the CMRs, preventable crude mortality rates, and treatable crude mortality rates of the four major types of chronic diseases all showed an increasing trend (AAPC = 4.363%, 2.047%, and 3.011%, respectively; all P < 0.05), while no statistically significant differences were observed in the trends of SMR, preventable standardized mortality rate, and treatable standardized mortality rate (all P > 0.05). From 2015 to 2022, increases were observed in the CMR, preventable crude mortality rate, and treatable crude mortality rate in males, urban populations, and rural populations, the CMR in females and pastoral populations, and the treatable crude mortality rate in pastoral populations (all P < 0.05). Only the treatable standardized mortality rate of urban populations showed an upward trend (AAPC = 2.853%, P = 0.002). The mortality rates of the four major types of chronic diseases in Qinghai province increased with the increase in age (all P < 0.001), and the avoidable age-specific mortality rate in males was consistently higher than that in females (all P < 0.05). The avoidable mortality rate was the lowest in urban populations across all age groups. The results of the life loss analysis showed that the treatable PYLL and treatable PYLLR of the four major types of chronic diseases in Qinghai province from 2015 to 2022 increased, while the preventable AYLL and treatable AYLL decreased (all P < 0.05). From 2015 to 2022, the PYLL in males, as well as the PYLL, preventable PYLL, treatable PYLL, and treatable PYLLR in urban populations increased; the AYLL and preventable AYLL in males, AYLL and treatable AYLL in females, PYLL in rural populations, and AYLL, preventable AYLL, and treatable AYLL in rural and pastoral populations decreased (all P < 0.05).

Conclusions From 2015 to 2022, the mortality rates of the four major types of chronic diseases in Qinghai province presented an upward trend, and this upward trend became more pronounced with the increase in age. The burden of life loss in urban areas was aggravated, whereas rural and pastoral areas achieved remarkable effects in reducing the average life loss of the population with chronic diseases. Reducing treatable and preventable deaths of the population shall serve as the goal for future prevention and control work