Convergences and Divergences in the Burden of Disease in Older People Across The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Countries

Background
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member states are heterogeneous in their social, economic, and health conditions.

Aims
a) to analyze age-specific mortality rate (ASMR) and age-specific disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rate among older people in countries by age groups (65–74 years and 75+ years) and sex, and b) to estimate the association between age-specific DALY rate with Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) and with Healthcare Access and Quality Index (HAQI).

Methods
Secondary analysis of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. The ASMR and the age-specific DALY rate were reported for the years 1990, 2005, and 2019. Correlation between age-specific DALY rate with SDI and HAQI was estimated.

Results
There were differences in the level and change in ASMR and the age-specific DALY rates among OECD countries. Overall, men had a higher rate for both age groups in both indicators. Although the rates have been reduced between 1990 and 2019, some countries stand out for continuing to have higher rates than countries with better socioeconomic levels. The disease burden profile also differed between adults aged 65–74 years and those aged 75+ years. In almost all cases, there was a negative and statistically significant correlation between the age-specific DALY rate with SDI and HAQI.

Conclusions
The burden of mortality and DALY in OECD countries is convergent because they have decreased over time in all countries but diverge in the magnitude and speed of change.