Measuring the burden of disease and injury in Spain using disability-adjusted life years: an updated and policy-oriented overview

Abstract

Objective: To provide a comprehensive and detailed overview of the burden of disease in Spain for 2008. Implications for public health policies are discussed.

Study design: 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.