The prevalence and patient characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in non‐smokers in V ietnam and I ndonesia: An observational survey

Background and objective An estimated 25–40% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) have never smoked. We investigated the prevalence and patient characteristics of COPD in non‐smokers from V ietnam and I ndonesia. Methods This population‐based cross‐sectional survey of participants from urban and rural V ietnam and I ndonesia used a stratified multistage cluster sampling design, with sample and population weights applied to ensure representativeness. Participants were female or male (recruited in the ratio 2:1) non‐smokers, 40 years or older and able to perform a spirometry test. Spirometry was performed at a single study visit. Other clinical information was collected via standardized questionnaires. Results The 1506 evaluable participants were approximately equally distributed between V ietnam and I ndonesia, and rural and urban areas. Overall prevalence of COPD was found to be 6.9% (95% confidence interval ( CI ): 5.7–8.3), with almost three times higher prevalence in men than women (12.9% (95% CI : 9.1–18.0) vs 4.4% (95% CI : 3.0–6.5)). We found higher rates of COPD in V ietnam than I ndonesia (8.1% (95% CI : 5.8–11.3) vs 6.3% (95% CI : 4.8–8.3)), with a particularly high prevalence in urban V ietnam (11.1% (95% CI : 8.1–15.1)). Very few participants (6%) diagnosed to have COPD during the study had been previously diagnosed with COPD . Respiratory symptoms and lower health‐related quality of life were more common in participants with COPD . Conclusions The prevalence of COPD in non‐smoking individuals from rural and urban V ietnam and I ndonesia was 6.9%, of which a significant proportion (94%) were previously undiagnosed.