Purpose: The aim of this article is to provide a detailed description of the Chikwawa lung health cohort which was established in rural Malawi to prospectively determine the prevalence and causes of lung disease amongst the general population of adults living in a low-income rural setting in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Participants: A total of 1481 participants were randomly identified and recruited in 2014 for the baseline study. We collected data on demographic, socio-economic status, respiratory symptoms and potentially relevant exposures such as smoking, household fuels, environmental exposures, occupational history/exposures, dietary intake, healthcare utilization, cost (medication, outpatient visits and inpatient admissions) and productivity losses. Spirometry was performed to assess lung function. At baseline, 56.9% of the participants were female, mean age was 43.8 (SD:17.8) and mean body mass index (BMI) was 21.6 Kg/m2 (SD: 3.46).
Findings to date: The cohort has reported the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms (13.6%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 11.9-15.4), spirometric obstruction (8.7%, 95% CI, 7.0-10.7), and spirometric restriction (34.8%, 95% CI, 31.7-38.0). Additionally, an annual decline in forced expiratory volume in one second [FEV1] of 30.9mL/year (95% CI: 21.6 to 40.1) and forced vital capacity [FVC] by 38.3 mL/year (95% CI: 28.5 to 48.1) has been reported.
Future plans: The ongoing phases of follow-up will determine the annual rate of decline in lung function as measured through spirometry and the development of airflow obstruction and restriction, and relate these to morbidity, mortality and economic cost of airflow obstruction and restriction. Population-based mathematical models will be developed driven by the empirical data from the cohort and national population data for Malawi to assess the effects of interventions and programmes to address the lung burden in Malawi. The present follow-up study started in 2019.