Chronic diseases in the population affected by the armed conflict in Colombia, 2015

Objective. The purpose of this study was to identify the most frequent non-mental chronic illnesses in the Colombian population affected by the armed conflict. Methodology. A cross-sectional study using data from the National Mental Health Survey 2015. The study population was stratified by sex and age and other general data were extracted, including education and poverty level, measured by the Multidimensional Poverty Index. Data analysis was based on information from people who reported having been victims of the Colombian armed conflict at some time in their lives; the frequency of presentation of non-mental chronic illnesses was reported as a measure of indirect relative risk. Results. Information on 10,764 people over 18 years of age was described, this being a representative sample at the national level. It was found that 10.4% of subjects affected by the armed conflict have a high educational level (technical school or university), and that 43.6% are living in conditions of poverty or vulnerability. The non-mental chronic illnesses identified were: hypertension 20.4% (CI95%: 15.7-26.1); diabetes 6.7% (CI95%: 4.4-10.3); rheumatologic diseases 10.4% (CI95%: 7.1-14.9); gastrointestinal diseases 19.1% (CI95%: 14.5-24.7); and chronic pain 6.9% (CI95%: 4.2-11) Conclusions. The population affected by the armed conflict is apparently at greater risk of presenting non-mental chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes, which shows the vulnerability of these communities.