Determinants of quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

Objectives: To test the association between quality of life (QoL) and gender, age, body mass index, marital status, employment status, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, anxiety, depression and dyspnoea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Type of study: Observational, cross-sectional study. Location: Manuel Rocha Peixoto Family Health Unit and Gualtar Family Health Unit, Braga, Portugal. Population: Patients over 40 years of age, diagnosed with COPD or chronic bronchitis, registered in the Gualtar and Manuel Rocha Peixoto Family Health Units. Methods: Demographic data were collected and the Portuguese versions of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Medical Research Council Dyspnoea Questionnaire and the COPD-specific Saint George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ-C) were administered. The diagnosis of COPD was confirmed by spirometry, determining the forced expiratory volume in 1 second. A bivariate analysis of the study variables and QoL was performed. Statistically significant associations were tested by multiple linear regression. Results: Sixty-five patients were included in the study. In the bivariate analysis, depression, anxiety and dyspnoea were related to all domains of the SGRQ-C. Gender and employment status also showed a significant bivariate correlation with “Activity”, “Impact of disease” and the total SGRQ-C score. In the multiple linear regression analysis, gender and anxiety were not found to be significant predictors of outcomes. In the regression analysis, depression was a significant predictor for “Symptoms” and “Impact”, employment status and dyspnoea were significant predictors for “Activity” and employment status, depression and dyspnoea were significant predictors for the SGRQ-C score. Conclusion: Employment status, depression and dyspnoea should be considered in intervention strategies to improve QoL in patients with COPD.