Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Hot Spots in Mississippi

Introduction. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the sixth leading cause of death in the US and approximately 10% of people 65 years and older have COPD. This study examines the association of geographic-level risk factors with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) prevalence using spatial-based analyses with the goal of identifying risk factors associated with county-level COPD and to identify communities at risk. Methods. The study sample consisted of all N=82 counties in Mississippi and all data is reported at the county level. All measures were drawn from the 2023 Mississippi Healthy Aging Data Report. A hot spot map was first produced, and descriptive statistics explored differences between cold and hot spot towns. Following a series of spatial-based analyses (e.g., Moran’s I, Getis-Ord Gi*), a series of linear regression models were used to identify significant risk factors associated with county level COPD prevalence. All statistical analyses were conducted in STATA 18 and all mapping was conducted in ArcMap 10.8. Results. A total of N=7 counties were identified in Mississippi to be hot spots of COPD at the 95th and 99th percentiles. Discussion. This study found comorbid respiratory condition prevalence and race was associated with COPD prevalence at the county level. Spatial-based studies are perfectly positioned to promote policy change as they can identify areas home to risk factors for chronic disease, and areas in need.