An Examination of Disease Prevalence in the Adult Population in Türkiye: Social Policy Recommendations Based on National Health Survey Data

This study aimed to describe changes in the prevalence of major self-reported diseases and health problems in Türkiye between 2019 and 2022 using national survey data. The aim is to present recommendations for social health policies in Türkiye based on the findings obtained. The study is a repeated measures cross-sectional, secondary data analysis based on the gender distribution of major diseases/health problems reported in the last 12 months for individuals aged 15 and over, as presented in two tables, published by the Turkish Statistical Institute as part of the Türkiye Health Survey. Alzheimer's disease data was evaluated only for individuals aged 65 and over. For each disease, absolute change (percentage points) and relative percentage change were calculated using the total and gender-separate prevalences for 2019 and 2022. Overall, a decrease in prevalence was observed from 2019 to 2022 in 11 out of the 12 conditions examined. The largest relative decreases were observed in: Increased prevalence was observed in osteoarthritis (-28.6%), depression (-23.3%), allergies (-22.0%), and lumbar and cervical disorders (approximately -17% and -16%, respectively). In contrast, diabetes was the only disease with an increasing prevalence, rising from 10.2% in 2019 to 11.4% in 2022 (a relative increase of +11.8%). These findings indicate that while a decrease in the self-reported prevalence of some musculoskeletal, allergic, and mental health problems is observed in Türkiye, a significant increase continues in diabetes. The results point to the need to strengthen targeted primary/secondary prevention programs, especially for diabetes, and require consideration of the fact that the observed trends may also be influenced by changes in health service utilization, diagnosis, and reporting behaviors.