Overall
By Sex
By Age Group
By Deprivation
Diseases of the respiratory system, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), were the fourth leading cause of hospitalizations in Simcoe Muskoka in 2020. There were approximately 1,000 COPD hospitalizations in 2021, accounting for more than one-third of all respiratory system disease related hospitalizations.
The age-standardized hospitalization rate for COPD in Simcoe Muskoka for all ages and sexes in 2021 was 125 (117.2, 132.9) hospitalizations per 100,000 population, which was significantly higher than the Ontario rate of 92 (90.3, 93.2) hospitalizations per 100,000 population.
The COPD hospitalization rates dropped dramatically in 2020, by approximately one-third in Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario. This sudden and dramatic drop can be attributed, at least in part, to changes in health care use and access during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unclear how much the reduced transmission of other infectious diseases (like the common cold and influenza) and reduced exposures to activities and environments that exacerbate COPD may have contributed to the drop in the rate. The local and provincial rates dropped again in 2021, by 13% in Simcoe Muskoka and 17% across the province.
There was a small but significant decreasing trend in the COPD hospitalization rates in Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario over the 17-year period from 2003 to 2019. The COPD hospitalization rates in Simcoe Muskoka have been consistently above the provincial rates over this period.
By Sex
In 2021, the age-standardized COPD hospitalization rate among Simcoe Muskoka males was 132 (120.3, 144.3) hospitalizations per 100,000, which was similar to the female rate of 120 (110.0, 131.4) hospitalizations per 100,000. The 2020 COPD hospitalization rates for Ontario males and females were significantly lower than the comparable Simcoe Muskoka rates.
The COPD hospitalization rates dropped by more than one-third in 2020 and by about 10% in 2021 among Simcoe Muskoka males and females. The COPD hospitalization rates among both males and females in Simcoe Muskoka declined significantly between 2003 and 2019; however, the rates among Simcoe Muskoka males decreased significantly faster than the female rates over this 17-year period.
By Age Group
Hospitalizations for COPD increases with age. The age-specific rate for COPD hospitalizations between 2017 and 2021 (combined) in Simcoe Muskoka was highest among those 75 years and older at 1,363 (1,317.5, 1,410.4) hospital discharges per 100,000 population. This was more than double the rate for those between 65 and 74 years of age and approximately eight-times higher than the rate for adults between 45 and 64 years of age. The Simcoe Muskoka age-specific rates were significantly higher than the provincial rates among all age groups.
By Deprivation
For the period from 2017 to 2021 (combined), Simcoe Muskoka residents living in areas with the highest amount of material deprivation (as measured by the 2016 Ontario Marginalization Index) had triple the rate of COPD hospitalizations when compared with those living in areas with the least amount of material deprivation.
Page last updated February 14, 2023