A Study on Chronic Obstructive Diseases of the Lung in Rural Village / 日本農村医学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

In this article, an attempt was made to epidemiologically study chronic obstructive diseases of the lung, particularly chronic bronchitis, in Yachiho, a rural village in Nagano Prefecture.<BR>The findings reveal that the incidence of chronic bronchitis among inhabitants from 40 to 69 years of age stands at 9.8% for males and 5.7% for females.This incidence is lower than in air-polluted areas but higher than in the non-polluted areas in Japan.<BR>The cause to this phenomenon is presumably attributable to the influences of threshing work in paddy fields.<BR>The repeated recurrence of Dakkoku Kikanshien (bronchitis for which threshing is responsible) once in a year is associated to a great extent with incidence of chronic bronchitis or its deterioration. Another conceivable factor is the inadequacy of household facillities against the cold weather in this village.