OBJECTIVE In this study, we focused on estimating the burden of premature death in Korea caused by smoking using the YLL (years of life lost due to premature death) measurement. METHODS: First, we determined parameters: such as age-specific standard life expectancy, age on death, sex, and cause of death by analyzing the national death certificate data and life table collected during 1997. These were provided by the National Statistical Office. Secondly, we estimated the age group- specific years of life lost due to premature death by employing the standard expected years of life lost (SEYLL) measurement. Thirdly, the burden of premature death caused by smoking was estimated using the YLLs measurement which was developed by the global burden of disease study group. Fourthly, We calculated the risk related to smoking using the population attributable risk. RESULTS: The following results were obtained in this study:1) Premature death that is attributable to smoking in males could be prevented in 60.9% (513,582 person-year) by non-smoking.2) The burden of premature death by smoking for female was prevented to 17.7% (513,582 person-year) by non-smoking. CONCLUSION: We found that the YLL method employed in this study was appropriate in quantifying the burden of premature death. This provides a rational basis for planning a national health policy regarding premature deaths caused by smoking and other related risk factors.
This study was performed to estimate the quantity of the effects of tobacco price raise on the smoking rate, and the smoking attributable deaths in Korea. The data were collected by questionnaire survey from 538 male office workers. The questionnaire contained items on age, sex, living place, status of education, smoking history, the intention to quit smoking when the tobacco price be raised. The questionnaire were distributed to the offices of enterprises, hospitals, research centers, and public agencies and then collected. Data were analyzed by using the age specific smoking rate, relative risks of eight major smoking related diseases, vital statistics, and the population attributable risk of deaths of smoking males. On the other hand, the impact of the tobacco price raise on the population attributable risk of death due to smoking in Korea was estimated by applying the presumed smoking rate after the price raise. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The smoking rate of male white color workers in large cities was 59.5%. 2. The proportion of male smokers who has the intention to quit smoking when the tobacco price be raised was 61.5%. 3. The proportion of male smokers who has the intention to quit smoking if the price of tobacco be raised was proportional to the degree of increasing tobacco price. It is estimated that if the tobacco price were raised more than four times as now, the presumed smoking rate goes down as low as 26.7%. If the tobacco price be raised 20% each year, presumed smoking rate is 46.2%. 4. The number of attributable male death of smoking estimated by using 8 major smoking related diseases(lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) was 25,863 death each year. That is 20.1% of total age over 20 male deaths. 5. If the tobacco price were raised more than four times as now and all smokers who has intention to quit smoking quits smoking, 12,336 lives, or 47.7% of smoking related deaths could be saved. 6. If the actual practice rate of quitting smoking among male smokers with intention to stop smoking when the price of tobacco be raised is 10%, 25%, or 50%, then the expected decrease of death numbers when the tobacco price were raised more than four times as now can be 1,112, 3,483, 5,796 respectively.