Table 1. Prevalencea of a Reported Diagnosis of COPD Among All Adults and Prevalencea of Respiratory Symptoms Among Adults Without a Reported Diagnosis of COPD, by Selected Characteristics, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 26 States and the District of Columbia, 2017–2018.
| Characteristic | Prevalence of a reported COPD diagnosisb , c (unweighted n = 15,070) | Prevalence of respiratory symptoms among adults without a reported COPD diagnosisb (unweighted n = 143,671) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic cough | Sputum production | Shortness of breath | ||
| Total | ||||
| Crude | 7.4 (7.2–7.7) | 13.7 (13.2–14.1) | 12.1 (11.7–12.5) | 19.0 (18.5–19.5) |
| Age-adjusted | 6.5 (6.3–6.8) | 13.4 (13.0–13.9) | 12.0 (11.6–12.5) | 18.3 (17.8–18.8) |
| Sociodemographic characteristics | ||||
| Sex | ||||
| Male | 5.9 (5.6–6.3) | 13.2 (12.6–13.9) | 13.1 (12.5–13.8) | 14.8 (14.1–15.5) |
| Female | 7.1 (6.7–7.5) | 13.6 (12.9–14.2) | 11.1 (10.5–11.7) | 21.7 (20.9–22.5) |
| Age group, y | ||||
| 18–39 | 2.9 (2.6–3.3) | 12.2 (11.4–13.0) | 11.9 (11.2–12.7) | 14.4 (13.6–15.3) |
| ≥40 | 10.0 (9.6–10.3) | 14.5 (14.0–15.1) | 12.3 (11.8–12.7) | 21.8 (21.2–22.4) |
| Race and ethnicityd | ||||
| Hispanic | 4.7 (3.8–5.8) | 13.3 (11.6–15.1) | 11.7 (10.2–13.5) | 18.9 (17.0–20.9) |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 6.8 (6.0–7.7) | 16.0 (14.8–17.4) | 14.4 (13.2–15.7) | 24.5 (23.1–26.1) |
| Non-Hispanic White | 6.9 (6.6–7.2) | 13.2 (12.7–13.7) | 12.2 (11.7–12.7) | 17.6 (17.0–18.2) |
| Non-Hispanic Other | 5.6 (4.8–6.7) | 13.5 (10.9–16.6) | 10.0 (8.3–11.9) | 14.6 (12.2–17.4) |
| Educatione | ||||
| High school or less | 8.8 (8.3–9.3) | 16.2 (15.5–17.0) | 15.1 (14.3–15.9) | 22.7 (21.9–23.6) |
| Some college | 6.5 (6.0–6.9) | 13.8 (12.9–14.8) | 12.4 (11.6–13.2) | 19.1 (18.1–20.2) |
| College graduate | 3.2 (2.9–3.6) | 8.9 (8.4–9.5) | 7.4 (6.8–7.9) | 10.9 (10.4–11.5) |
| Urbanicitye | ||||
| Large central metro | 5.0 (4.5–5.5) | 12.4 (11.5–13.4) | 10.4 (9.5–11.4) | 17.0 (15.9–18.1) |
| Large fringe metro | 5.7 (5.2–6.3) | 12.9 (11.9–13.9) | 12.4 (11.4–13.4) | 17.3 (16.2–18.3) |
| Medium metro | 7.4 (6.8–8.1) | 13.5 (12.6–14.4) | 12.0 (11.3–12.8) | 18.5 (17.5–19.6) |
| Small metro | 7.8 (7.2–8.4) | 14.8 (13.4–16.4) | 13.2 (12.1–14.4) | 20.2 (18.7–21.8) |
| Micropolitan | 8.0 (7.5–8.7) | 14.6 (13.6–15.6) | 13.5 (12.6–14.5) | 20.1 (19.2–21.1) |
| Rural (noncore) | 8.4 (7.7–9.2) | 15.7 (13.9–17.8) | 15.0 (13.2–17.1) | 20.9 (19.8–22.2) |
| Other characteristics | ||||
| Smoking status | ||||
| Former or current smoker | 11.2 (10.7–11.7) | 17.8 (17.0–18.6) | 17.1 (16.3–17.9) | 24.2 (23.3–25.2) |
| Never smoked | 3.1 (2.8–3.4) | 10.9 (10.3–11.5) | 9.0 (8.5–9.5) | 14.9 (14.3–15.5) |
| Asthma history | ||||
| Current asthma | 24.6 (23.2–26.1) | 25.3 (23.1–27.6) | 23.2 (21.0–25.6) | 46.9 (44.3–49.5) |
| Former history only | 11.8 (9.6–14.3) | 14.9 (13.0–16.9) | 15.2 (13.2–17.5) | 21.1 (19.0–23.5) |
| Never | 4.3 (4.1–4.5) | 12.3 (11.8–12.8) | 10.9 (10.4–11.3) | 15.7 (15.2–16.2) |
| Receipt of breathing testf | ||||
| No | 2.3 (2.1–2.6) | 11.3 (10.8–11.8) | 10.0 (9.5–10.5) | 14.1 (13.6–14.6) |
| Yes | 15.7 (15.0–16.5) | 19.6 (18.5–20.7) | 18.3 (17.2–19.4) | 30.9 (29.6–32.2) |
Abbreviation: COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Unweighted n = 158,741. All values are % (95% CI). Estimates for all characteristics, except age group, were standardized to the 2000 US standard population aged ≥18 years by using 5 age groups. During 2017 and 2018, 26 states and the District of Columbia administered the optional module; Tennessee administered the module for both years; therefore, the weight for each respondent in that state was divided by 2.
Respondents were classified as having self-reported, physician-diagnosed COPD if they responded yes to the question, “Have you ever been told by a doctor or health professional that you have COPD, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis?” Respondents were classified as having a chronic cough if they responded yes to the question, “During the past 3 months, did you have a cough on most days?” Respondents were classified as having sputum production if they responded yes to the question, “During the past 3 months, did you cough up phlegm or mucus on most days?” Respondents were classified as having shortness of breath if they responded yes to the question, “Do you have shortness of breath either when hurrying on level ground or when walking up a slight hill or stairs?”
Significant differences in the prevalence of COPD were observed for all sex, age group, smoking status, asthma, and receipt of breathing tests pairs.
Significant differences in the prevalence of COPD were observed between non-Hispanic White and Hispanic groups, between non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Other groups, and between non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic groups.
Significant increasing linear trends in the prevalence of COPD were observed for decreasing education and urbanicity.
Respondents were classified as receiving a breathing test if they responded yes to the question, “Have you ever been given a breathing test to diagnose breathing problems?”