Burden of disease assessment with summary measures of population health for the Region of Valencia, Spain: a population-based study

Abstract Background and objective An important input to decision-making and health planning is a consistent and comparative description of the population health status. The purpose of this study was to describe the burden of disease in the Region of Valencia (Spain). Material and methods Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were calculated and divided into years of life lost (YLLs) and years lived with disability (YLDs). Using death registry data and Valencian population estimates in 2008, we calculated the number of deaths and YLLs. YLDs were based on age- and sex-specific data for countries of the EURO-A subregional level (which includes the Region of Valencia) from the Global Burden of…